The Blue-Eyed Fox
by RyoshiMorino
Summary: As Naruto and Jiraiya start out on their training mission across the Land of Fire, Jiraiya makes a surprising discovery when he finds Tayuya of the Sound Four still alive, and royaly pissed off at her former sensei. With the addition of this foul-mouthed kunoichi, Naruto's life is about to get turned upside down as his training continues.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is one of those times that I have an idea in my head that just will not leave me alone unless I get it out. First Naruto Fic, so please, folks, be gentle. **_

_**1: Start of the Journey**_

* * *

The first thing Tayuya felt when she came to was a blinding, searing pain in her legs, and another pain that was coming from her shoulder. "Fuck!" She clapped her hand over the pained spot that she knew her cure mark was. The small mark was hot, unbearably so, and burned her fingers at the touch.

"That fucking Orochi-teme!" She shrieked, "I'm not dead yet! Don't you dare take the seal from me!"

_Kukukuku,_ laughed a sadistic voice in her head as the mark began to fade, _I'm terribly sorry, Tayuya-chan, but with you pinned like that, I doubt even the power of my gift could help you._

"What the fuck do you mean pinned?!" Then her thoughts snapped back to the pain in her legs and she whipped her head around behind her. Her face paled as she caught sight of herself, "Oh no...Oh fuck no! Orochimaru! I've been loyal to you for most of my life, you can't leave me like this!"

Her screams of anger and pain only served to amuse the snake Sannin further as his voice began to fade as well,_ But what would I do with a broken pawn when I already have my knight?_ And then the presence was gone, along with her last hope of escaping alive.

Tayuya felt like crying, for the first time in a long time, she wanted to break down. "Abandoned...I've been abandoned again..." She lurched forward in an attempt to free herself from the giant tree that was crushing her legs. "_Fuck_! _Someone_! _Anyone_! _Fucking_ _help_ _me_!" Her leg bones crackled, causing her to shriek again in pain. "Jirobo. Sakon, Kimimaro! Anyone! Help!" The pain was so intense that she collapsed back to the ground in exhaustion. "_Help_..."

She passed into unconsciousness.

(*)

"You sure you're good for travel, Gaki?" Jiraiya asked, "You barely started to heal. Give the fox more time to work."

"No," the young blonde growled tiredly, "I can heal as we go. I need this training if I'm going to bring Sasuke back!"

_**He's right, you** **know**,_the nine-tailed fox growled_**, you should rest more. You used far too much of my chakra too soon for your age.**_

_Be quiet, _Naruto snapped, _since when do you care about me?_

_**Do I really need to answer that, Kit?**_

"I take it the fox is agreeing with me?" Jiraiya said, noticing the boy's scowl, which he threw his way when he heard the old toad sage. Jiraiya smiled. _Just like his father, and mother, too stubborn to rest, and to prideful to admit that he needs it. _"Look, we'll take it easy for a while until the fox can fix you. I don't intend on training you until we reach the border to Suna."

Naruto's face broke into a grin, "We're going to Sunagakure?"

"Yup," he smiled at the boy's renewed energy, "You'll get to see Gara and his siblings."

"Awesome!"

_**I could do without seeing that psychotic** **tanuki**_, commented the fox. Naruto ignored him, too excited to see his old friend to care that his tenant had insulted him to some degree.

"And I get see what Suna has to offer my research!" The Sannin snicker, clasping his hands together in excitement. Naruto stopped, looking at him with a deadpan expression.

"Pervert."

"Aw, you wound me, Gaki, I am _not_ a pervert...I'm a_ SUPER PERVERT_!" Naruto, and even the fox, groaned as the legendary ninja and self-proclaimed lady-killer struck a pose in front of him.

"Can we get going," the blonde asked, "I really don't want to be seen with you looking like that."

"This," the old man laughed, "coming from a mummy?"

_**I'm working on it, dammit!**_The fox roared huffily, _**I'd like to see you try to heal a hole the size of a human arm through the chest, and a lung, in a matter of days!** _The roars from inside his head gave Naruto a slight headache as the fox vented his anger toward the toad sage, even though he couldn't hear his ranting.

"Um, Ero-sennin? I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make fun of the fox's power. He takes it out on me."

_**Who else am I supposed to torment?**_

"Sorry, Gaki, I'll try to keep that in mind." The smirk on the old man's face said otherwise, and Naruto knew that this was going to be a long three years as they continued on their way, with Konohagakure getting smaller with each step he took.

_Three hours later..._

As they continued into the after noon, Jiraiya noticed Naruto lagging behind. "Oi, Naruto, we'll stop and rest here for a while, alright?" He called back. Naruto didn't argue. Though the fox was working wonders no medical-nin could work, it was a slow process, mainly due to the fact that the fox was slightly pissed at the boy for putting their lives in danger, just to save am Uchiha brat that didn't want to be saved.

Naruto quickly caught up with him, despite his injuries, and sat down heavily on the ground under one of the trees that grew along the road. Jiraiya thought that he wouldn't be moving for a while, and decided to go ahead and start setting up camp.

Naruto soon found himself dozing off, though, and then found himself in a very familiar place.

_**Finally! You took your sweet time, Kit!**_

"DAH!" Naruto nearly fell over backward at the fox's loud voice in the chamber, splashing water all over himself. "Warn me before you call me in here!"

**_Now where's the fun in that?_ **The Kyubi asked, his giant face coming right up to the bars of his cage. _**Either way, you're here, and I have a request. And it's so simple, even you could do it.** _

"Hearing you say that doesn't make me wanna do it, flea bag." Naruto crossed his arms. "Since we're going to be together for a while, how about being nice for a change?"

**_Nice? NICE!_**The entire room shook as the Bijuu bellowed. _**I'm the all powerful Kyubi no Kitsune! An all mighty force of nature! And I'm stuck inside this pitiful excuse of a mind on the inside of a self-proclaimed Knucklehead Ninja! I don't do nice!**_

"Alright, already! Quit shouting before you make me got deaf!" Naruto yelped. "What d'ya want?"

_**If you can believe it, a better prison cell.** _

"Huh?"

_**Think about it,** **Kit**, _Kyubi sighed, placing a giant hand over his eyes, _**This is your mind, and, in a sense, your world. It can look however you want it to look...and yet here I am in a sewer.**_

"You mean this is how I want this place to look?" The boy was slightly surprised, looking around at all the rusty, dripping pipes that hung all around the room. _Damn, I must have had more depression than I thought. _

_**I'll have to agree with that thought, Kit. This is a result of extreme depression. Believe it or not, before we met, I had to squash a few suicidal thoughts before they could come to the forefront of your mind so that you could act them out.**_

"Suicide!" Naruto scoffed, "Now that's bullshit!"

_**Is it?**_Kyubi grinned, _**Think about it. You were beaten, starved, cast out, and ignored for the longest time. The sheer loneliness would have gotten to a normal Ningen long ago. Face the facts, Kit, I've saved your sorry tail more than once, without having to use my chakra cloak.** _The grin turned into a sneer. _**So you owe me. And the least you can do is give me a more...comfortable living space.**_

Naruto thought for a moment, letting all that the Kyubi had said sink in. Sighing, he realized that the giant fox was right. "Okay, you win, I'll give it a try. How do I do this?"

_**Well, well, you caved in more easily than I thought.** _Kyubi sneered again.

"Shut up, or I'll leave." Naruto threatened, "Do you want this or not?"

**_Fine, then just imagine it. If you were a fox, where would you like to live?_ **Thinking on that, Naruto sat down in the water, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes, thinking of all the places he'd seen foxes. The Kyubi, he knew, would need something more than just a forest though since he was so big. Then he remembered the Chunin examines and his romp in the Forest of Death. There had been foxes there, too. Big ones. He even thought he'd seen one with more than one tail.

As this was going on, the Kyubi waited impatiently for the boy to get if right, and suddenly everything around them shattered. The Kyubi's eyes widened as the very bars that had imprisoned him melted away into golden sparks that began swirling around Naruto, seal and all! The dark sewer he'd come to call his prison turned into a vast, white infinity that had the beast worried for a moment.

Then there was a sky. Clear, and blue and beautiful to the fox, who had only seen it through his captor's eyes, and very briefly after his forced escape from his previous container.

Then he felt earth beneath his feet. Soft, fertile soil, perfect for any type of plant. **_Not bad, Kit, but is that all? I don't think I can start a garden in here._ **Naruto ignored the comment. He wasn't done yet. A fact which quickly registered with the Kyubi as the ground started to shake. **_Oi, Kit! What do you think you're doing!_**Again he was ignored. All around them plants started to grow.

Not small plants, but giant, tall, and beautiful trees who's roots shot out of the ground, and into the air as they branched out, and formed leaves, and caves beneath their bases. One such root burst our of the ground beneath them, lifting both boy and fox off the ground. This nearly caused the demon to lose his footing, and had to dig his claws into the root to keep his balance.

_**Damn you, Kit, when I get my hands on you I'll...**_

"Like the new look?" Naruto asked, finally opening his eyes, giving the his tenant a foxy grin.

Kyubi growled at him, but looked around at his new surroundings. The trees were bigger than he was.

_**I hate to admit this, but I'm impressed. This is perfect. I can even sense animals to hunt here. Big ones, too.**_

"I modeled this place after the Forest of Death, so don't be surprised if you find a few giant snakes." Naruto said, still grinning.

_**As long as I get to tear something apart!** _Kyubi sighed in content, then realized that the sparks were still swirling around Naruto. _**Kit, what is that anyway?** _

"What, this?" Naruto grinned, "It's your new collar!"

_**Collar!** _To the Kyubi's horror, the sparks shot right at him and whirled around his neck, forming a secure, yet comfortable fitting leather collar. Naruto snickered at the fox's outraged look. "That looks good on you."

_**How dare you?! I'm not some common cur that can be collared! Get this damnable thing off of me!**_"Sorry, but the seal had to go somewhere." Naruto laughed, knowing full well that his little prank on the fox had worked.

_**You little runt!**_The Kyubi lunged at him. Naruto yelped and sprinted out of the fox's reach. "Glad you like the new mind scape, gotta go!"

_**Oh, no you don't! Get back here you little guttersnipe!**_The fox pounded after him on all fours. _**When I get my hands on you, you'll wish I was Orochimaru! Come back here! I'll skin you alive!**_

"Sorry, but I'm gone!" Naruto laughed, and suddenly disappeared back into the real world. Leaving behind one very angry fox.

_Outside while Naruto is sleeping... _

While Naruto seemed to be sleeping, Jiraiya had set up camp and started going about making their dinner. He looked over at the boy, who looked peaceful, despite what was really going on in his mind, as he snored softly.

"Hmph, told you we should have waited until you recovered." Jiraiya laughed softly. He stood up from where he'd knelt to form a fire pit, and started off into the woods for fire wood. "This is going to be good for him, I think. We just need to stay clear of Iwa. He looks too much like Minato to even risk the border." He said to himself as he started gathering a small bundle of wood.

"Kumo could be a little dangerous, given that little stunt they pulled with the Hyuga, but..." He stopped for a moment, catching something drifting on the breeze. "Is that blood?" He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent more. "It is, and it's fresh!" Dropping his bundle and biting his thumb he preformed the boar, dog, bird, monkey and ram signs. "_Kuchiyose no Jutso_!" A puff of smoke rose from where he'd placed his hand on the ground, revealing a little orange and blue toad wearing a blue vest.

"_**Hey, Jiraiya, what gives**_?" Gamakichi asked, "**_I thought Pops was your main summon_**?"

"Normally, yes," Jiraiya said, kneeling down to the little toad, "But I need you to stay and look after Naruto for me. I can smell blood in the air, and it's fresh, and close by."

"_**Oh, I gotcha, sure thing**_!" Gamakichi saluted, "**_Where is the boss, anyway_**?"

"He's over there," the old man pointed back toward the road, "Leaning against a tree sleeping. He's in pretty bad shape, too, so keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"_**You got it**_!" Gamakichi hopped off toward his friend, while Jiraiya sped off into the forest.

For the last three hours or so, Tayuya had slipped in and out of consciousness from either pain or blood loss, she didn't know which. But each time she woke up again, she redoubled her efforts to get out. Her legs felt like they were being ripped to pieces as she struggled, yet she could feel them moving ever so slightly with each effort, she was getting herself loose!

But then she would pass out again from the pain of it, and the fear of not being able to get out. Of dying here in the middle of the forest...alone. Now she was more determined than ever to free herself as she clawed and scrabbled at the ground for a hand hold on something, grunting in pain and effort just to get a breath.

"Fuck this! And fuck that Orochi-teme! I'm not dying here!" The girl swore, struggling again, "I'll hunt him down! I'll kill him for abandoning me!"

"If you really mean that, then maybe I should help you?"

"Who said that?" Tayuya demanded, looking around for the source of the voice, her hope flaring up, "Who's there?"

"Why I am the all mighty Kami-sama!"

A large sweat drop appeared on her face, "I call bull-fucking-shit on that." A booming laugh sounded from right above her and she craned her neck to see what was there. She saw an old man in a bright red vest that looked like something out of the Kabuki theater, and he wore a head band that sported the kanji for "oil" on it.

"Who...?"

"I'll leave the introductions," he said, jumping down from his perch, "For now, let's see what I can do about getting this tree off of you, huh?"

"Fuckin' A!" She nearly cried, "I've been stuck here for days!"

"All the more reason for me to hurry," he grinned, rubbing his hands together, "but this is a fairly large tree. I can do this on my own." _Not even in Sage Mode. _"I'll need help with this." She watched him, fearing that he'd leaver her, but instead he started making hand signs so fast that she could barely see them. Then he slammed his hand into the ground, "_Kuchiyose no Jutso!"_ For the second time that day, a puff of smoke appeared in the woods, yet this time, the summon was much, much larger.

"_**What an odd place I've come** **to.**_**"** Said the giant green toad, "_**Ah, Jiraiya, how nice to see you! What can I do for** **you**?_"

"Thanks for coming, Gamanatsu," the old man said, then patted the tree that was trapping the girl, "I need you to move this tree off of this girl without crushing her. I have a feeling that her legs already in bad shape thank to being under it for so long. I'd be surprised if she can even feel them anymore."

_Fucking great way to scare a girl, _Tayuya thought snidely.

"**_I will do what I_** _**can**_," the toad lumbered over to the tree and hunched just in front of her, "**_Try not to move little one. I'll make this as quick as possible._**"

"Thank you!" Tayuya cried. Then held perfectly still as the toad reached for the tree with his webbed hands. The tree creaked and groaned as her lifted it. Jiraiya moved in a flash, taking the girl's hands, and pulling her out from under the tree as soon as there was enough room.

Tayuya screamed with pain and relief at being freed, and would have wept for joy if she didn't hurt so much.

"It fucking hurts!"

"I can see why," Jiraiya growled, "I'll have to treat you right now if you want to use those legs of yours."

"_**Do you require assistance?**_" Gamanatsu asked, "_**I could use some of my healing oils on her**_**_ wounds_.**"

"In a moment, but I need to get these splinters out first." Jiraiya said.

"Splinters?" Tayuya said, then made the mistake of looking back at her legs. What she saw made her blanch. Her legs, or what was left of them, were mangled, and nearly skinless, and there were fragments of wood, large and small, piercing them. "Oh Kami...I'm finished..."

"Don't talk like that!" Jiraiya growled, reached for his sealing scroll that contained his medical supplies, "I've never let anyone die on me like this, and you will not be the first!"

"But my legs are f-"

"Enough swearing!" Jiraiya snapped, "And your legs will be fine. With Gamanatsu's oil and my bone-setting skills, even the shattered bones will be back to normal!"

"But-" before she could go any further, he unsealed all his supplies, gauze, forceps, clamps, scapels, needles, and the like. She shivered at the sight of the needles and the stitching thread. "This is gonna fucking hurt." She whimpered.

"Just try not to thrash too much." He told her, "I'll be as quick as I can." And then he got started.

Gamanatsu's heart went out to the poor girl as Jiraiya worked on her. She screamed, and swore like a sailor with each large fragment he removed from her, but she didn't thrash, or even flinch as he did all this, not even when he poured a little sake into the wounds to clean them, but she did scream even loud than he thought humanly possible.

"Natsu, the oil if you please?" Jiraiya said.

Gamanatsu made a hand sign without question, and produced a large vat of yellow oil. "_**I believe this will do, it is very good for skin regrowth**_."

"Thank you, friend," Jiraiya left off his treatment of her and went to dip his hands into the vat, "Don't worry, this'll be more pleasant than removing the wood."

"Fucking great!" Tayuya moaned, "That makes me _so_ happy!"

Jiraiya chuckled, _if Kushina had a daughter..._ "It will be, trust me, this stuff works wonders." Then he knelt and applied the oil. At first her wounds stung from the oil, but that quickly passed as the oil numbed her legs, and began slowly closing the wounds. The girl sighed in relief.

"That's better."

"See, told you so." Jiraiya smirked, "Now tell me, what was all that about going after Orochimaru?"

Tayuya stiffened, "That's none of your fucking business!"

"Oh? Well, if you wanted to get some sort of revenge on the old snake, then I might be able to help you with that." Jiraiya offered, "I know him quite well."

"Yeah, sure, and I'm a Sannin!" Tayuya spat, "C'mon, the only man I know who could go toe to toe with that fucker is Jiraiya the Toad Sage!"

Jiraiya's smirked grew wider, "Didn't you hear Gamanatsu earlier? That's what he called me. And in case you didn't notice, he is a toad that I summoned."

"I-" Tayuya blushed, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.

Jiraiya threw back his head and laughed, "No need to get flustered, girl, I get that reaction a lot!"

"S-sorry," she stuttered, "It's just that I've always heard that you were a pervert! And you haven't even once tried to- "

"Stop right there," Jiraiya said, much to Gamanatsu's amusement, "I only check out girls in their twenties and up, you're what? Twelve?"

"Thirteen," she said, sighing in relief, "Can you really help me?"

"My dear," he said, charging his hands with healing chakra, "If I can train the Yondaime Hokage, I can train a foul-mouthed gaki."

_Back with Naruto... _

_**Oi! Don't ignore me! I know you can hear me, Kit! Get back in here so I can eat you!**_The Kyubi roared, still fairly pissed off about his new collar. Naruto, for the most part, remained asleep, and dreamed happily without being drawn back into the seal by the fox. But that didn't stop him from hearing the demon's roaring.

_I should've put a leash on him, too. _Naruto thought, hoping the demon heard him.

He did. **_You try, and I'll make your life a living hell! And trust me when I say you haven't seen hell yet!_ **

_Believe me when I say go suck it! I'm trying to sleep! _Naruto snapped back at the outraged fox. **_You're lucky I'm still stuck in here, Kit!_**

_How does that make me lucky? The fleas you give me are murder!_ Naruto smirked. The comment had the desired effect. The Kyubi roared even louder at the insult. **_I do not have fleas! Come in here and say that to my claws!_**

_Thanks but no thanks. _Naruto thought, _I know you can't really kill me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you rip me apart just to make yourself feel better. _

_**Just a little?** _The fox cooed in a mock pleading voice. **_I promise I won't hurt you...much!_**

_No, so forget about it. You got your new home, so be happy! Oh, look, is that a rabbit? _Naruto peaked into his mind scape and imagined a large rabbit, just big enough to catch the fox's interest, scampering along the forest floor. Needless to say, the fox forgot all about being angry and did what any fox would do when he or she saw a rabbit, and chased after it. Naruto smirked, glad to see his tenant relatively happy for a change.

But as he was drifting back into his dreams..._**Oi, Kit, wake up! I smell blood! Human blood!** _Naruto snapped his eyes open at the mention of blood, and unknowingly sent a little orange toad that had been resting on his head flying.

_**"What's wrong with you!?"** _Gamakichi yelled angrily.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"_**Jiraiya asked me to look after you.**_" He said, dusting himself off, "**_Then he ran off saying he smelled blood in the air._**"

"Yeah, the fox told me the same thing," Naruto said, getting to his feet, and nearly doubling over, "Gah! Damn, why's it taking so long to heal?"

_**I blame that damned black chakra the Uchiha brat used on for that Chidori he put through you. That was as close to demonic chakra as a human can get!**_The fox growled angrily, **_It's the only thing I can think of that's holding me back. Normally, even with such a severe wound as this, you'd be healed by now, long before now in fact._ **

"So, that's it, huh?" Naruto groaned, clutching his chest where Sasuke's claws had pierced him. "Tch, teme got me good after all, didn't he?"

"**_Talkin' to the fox_**?" Gamakichi asked. Naruto gave him a nod, "Yeah, he thinks some of the chakra from the curse mark might be slowing down my healing."

"**_That makes sense, I mean from what I know of this Orochimaru guy, he's one sick mother_** - "

_**The old man is coming,**_the Kyubi said, **_And he's not alone...he has a female with him!_**

"Ero-senin is coming back," Naruto said, "And the fox says he's got a girl with him."

"**_This is Jiraiya we're talking about here_**," Gamakichi said, holding out his pinky, "_**He's always got women around when he travels**_!"

"I'll thank you both not to talk about me like that!" The old sage yelled as he entered the camp site, and Naruto immediately noticed the woman in his arms. But it wasn't a woman he'd brought back, but a girl...a girl that Naruto knew!

"What the hell!" Naruto yelled, pointing toward the girl.

"Oh, fuck! Not you again, Shithead!"

"You two know each other?" Jiraiya asked in amusement, seeing the look on Naruto's face.

"She's one of the Sound Four!" Naruto growled, "What the hell are you doing with her!?"

"**_Drama, I'm out_**!" Gamakichi said, and poofed out of existence.

"I found her trapped under a tree, Naruto," he said to the angry blonde, "I couldn't just leave her there. And before you start caterwauling," he said seeing that Naruto was about to yell again, "Neither could you!"

"What?"

"Fuck that, he would have left me to rot!" Tayuya growled, crossing her arms. Then she smirked at him, "What happened to you, anyway? Lose a fight with a mummy?"

"Ah, shut up! What's your excuse? Hairy legs?" Naruto shot back.

Tayuya looked down at her now bandaged legs and blushed. "A tree fell on me you fuckshit!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough out of both of you!" Jiraiya chuckled, "Naruto, be nice to her, Orochimaru took the curse mark from her as soon as she was downed, so she's no friend of his anymore."

"Yeah, right," Naruto muttered.

"Can it, shrimp!" Tayuya growled.

"What did you call me!"

"Shrimp! S-H-R-I-P! Got it this time!"

"Quiet!" Jiraiya yelled, silencing both of them. He looked at both of them, making sure that they weren't going to start up again. "Alright then, look Naruto, I know you hate Orochimaru, but that's no reason to carry a grudge against this girl. If I know that old snake, then he probably kidnapped her young and did worse things to her than you could imagine. And he's just thrown her away like a piece of - "

"Ehm!" Tayuya coughed, "I'm right here, jackass."

"Sorry," Jiraiya muttered, "My point is, she's not on his side anymore, and probably never was."

"Right!" She threw her fist, "I fucking begged him to help me when I felt the fucking mark leaving me! But did he? NO! I was stuck under a tree for three fucking days trying to get out until Jiji came along!"

Jiraiya sighed, "Why can't you gaki's ever call me sensei?"

Naruto, having calmed down from his shock, gave the girl a good look. She was kind of pale, but not unhealthily so, and had red hair, like he'd seen before and she'd be about his height when she stood up. "So what are you gonna do with her?"

"Whad'ya mean _do with her_?" Tayuya snapped, "My legs are fucked!"

"Like I said," Naruto sighed, "We're on a three year training mission form the Leaf."

"So?" Tayuya asked, "Does it look like I can skip all the fucking way home?"

"Naruto, stop arguing with her and role out a bed roll, please." Jiraiya said, "And you," he looked down at Tayuya, making the girl flinched, then smiled at her, "just relax. You're staying with us."

"What!" Naruto yelled.

"Deal with it, Gaki!" Jiraiya yelled, "I'm not one to leave a kid injured and unprotected."

"Alright, but what if we get in trouble?" Naruto asked, "I mean Baa-chan won't like this."

"I deal with that when the time comes, until then, she's my student just as much as you are."

Naruto grumbled something and went about setting out the role like he'd asked rather stiffly. When he had it ready, Jiraiya laid the girl down gently, though straightening her legs was painful, and let her rest while he went back to gathering fire wood, leaving the two teens alone.

Tayuya watched the young blonde as he leaned himself back against the tree, noticing the way he moved. _Did that emo-teme do that to him? Or Kimimaro_? Naruto was breathing heavily when he'd sat himself down. His wounds, though healed a little more thanks to the Kyubi, still pained him.

_**The female is looking at**_** you.** His head snapped up in surprise as the fox said this, and immediately locked onto the girl, who's eyes were also on him. "What?"

"How'd you get hurt?" She asked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything.

"Oi! Don't ignore me!"

"Why do you care?" He asked evenly, "It's not like it matters."

"I was just curious." She said. "I mean, I had a forest blown on top of me. What could make your injuries worse than mine?" She smiled with a little bit of triumph in her voice. "Compare to me, you probably just bumped your head and fell to the forest floor!" The minute the words left her mouth, however, she regretted it.

Naruto's bright, happy blue eyes turned dull with sadness. Tayuya didn't, for the life of her, know why it bothered her so much to see him like that, but it did. "Oi...you okay?"

Naruto looked back up at her and smiled sadly. "My best friend and teammate tried to kill me. And I couldn't keep my promise to another friend to bring him back home after he left to join Orochimaru."

Tayuya felt shame creeping into her chest. Of course, that's why! "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't - Ah fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. The girl had doubled over and was clutching her legs to her chest. "Hey! Are you okay!?" He got up and hobbled over to her. Tayuya had to bite her lip to keep from crying.

"No I'm not fucking okay!" She gasped, "Whatever that oil was that Jiji used on me was just wore off!" Right now her legs were all pins and needles, and it was unbearable!

"That's just the blood going back into your legs," Jiraiya said as he came back into camp, his arms full of wood, "It'll pass in a few moments."

"It fucking hurts!" Tayuya whined, tears forming in hers eyes. Naruto looked panicked.

"Ero-senin, can't you help her?!"

"Sorry, Gaki, anymore of that toad oil, and she'd start turning into a toad."

"What?!" Both children yelled.

"It's a special oil that gather's a certain type of healing chakra from the environment. After it's done it's job, it's dangerous to apply more. I had to wash my hands after I got done with you."

"But what about soldier pills?" Naruto asked, "They could help."

"And make it worse," Jiraiya said, "They'll only increase the chakra flow, and her chakra network in her legs is screwed up for now until the oil leaves her system for good. Right now it's pulling the blood back into her legs and repairing the muscle. If it weren't for your abilities, Naruto, I would have used some on you."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Naruto whined, making Jiraiya grin, "What the hell's with that look, you old perv!"

"I thought you didn't like her?" Jiraiya smirked, taking out a note pad and pencil.

Naruto turned beet red, "S-s-shut up! I don't like seeing people in pain!"

Tayuya, trying to focus on their words to ignore the pain, felt slightly kinder toward the blonde after hearing that. _So much better than that four-eyed fuck back home_...

"It'll stop hurting in a few minutes," Jiraiya said in her direction, "Just give it some time to work. Then we can get some food into you."

"A-a f-few g-grains of r-rice is go-good enough for m-me!" Tayuya gasped out. Jiraiya grinned at her, "You'll get more than a few grains of rice with me around, Gaki. "

Tayuya was startled by that, "You mean I'm allowed more?"

Naruto looked down at her in confusion, "What do you mean allowed?"

"She means just what she says, Naruto." Jiraiya told him, reaching for another scroll, "She's probably never had a full meal in her time with Orochi-teme. Anko was trained so that she could survive on a single grain of rice for a week at a time and keep going."

"That's impossible," the blonde scoffed.

"Don't bet on it shithead," Tayuya growled.

"Would you stop calling me that?" Naruto groaned, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. What about you?"

"What about me?" She snapped, finding that the pain was going away.

"Your name," Jiraiya said, "Come to think of it, I didn't ask either."

The girl blushed slightly as the pain ebbed completely away after another minute. "Tayuya."

"Just Tayuya?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yup."

The old senin smiled at her as he unsealed the scroll, producing a bright red apple which he tossed to her. "Well, welcome to the group, Tayuya."

She caught the apple and sat up, not really knowing what to do with it, "Um, thank you?"

Jiraiya chuckled again and turned to his blonde apprentice, "How you doin' there, Gaki?"

Naruto sighed, clutching at his stomach where the Yondaime's seal was. "Not good," he said, "I think Sasuke's black chakra is effecting my healing abilities."

"And what has your ability been doing for you so far?" Jiraiya asked, "Surely it's able to do something?"

Naruto caught on. He didn't want Tayuya learning about the fox just yet. And for that matter, neaither did he. "It's just been focusing on me major injury after the Chidori hit my chest. Other than that, the minor cuts and gashes are healing at a normal rate."

Tayuya listened to the exchange intently, but was growing frustrated with them. "What the fuck are you talking about?" She glared up at Naruto, "You got some kinda Kekkei Genkai?"

"He's able to heal himself at a ten times the normal rate of a human." Jiraiya said, which stunned the girl, "It's one of the reasons he was put on the retrieval mission. He's strong, and almost impossible to kill."

Tayuya looked back up at him with a little more respect, "Wow, Shithead, I'm impressed!"

A vein popped up on Naruto's head at being called that name again, "Shut up and eat your apple before I do!"

She quickly bit into the red fruit so he would try and take it...and quickly started biting off bigger chunks until it was gone, core and all. "Wow, that was good!"

Jiraiya laughed, "That's just the start, I'm going to make sure you get a proper diet from now on." He tossed her another apple from the scroll, and turned to Naruto, "And that goes for you, too, Gaki! No more ramen every meal!"

"What!" Naruto whine, "But Ero-senin..."

"No buts, or do you want to stay a runt for the rest of your life?"

Tayuya laughed around her apple as Naruto sputtered angrily.

The Kyubi, who'd been listening the whole time, couldn't help laughing at his container's predicement. _**Oh, this is going to be an interesting trip. But just wait until the spring roles around, Kit. Then I'll see you suffer just a little for this blasted collar!**_

* * *

_**Like I said, my first Naruto fic, so be kind with any reviews, but constructive criticism is welcomed. So please do review and tell me what you think.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_So far, I'm enjoying writing this fic, as I hope you're all enjoying reading it. But wow! Just one day, and already 11 reviews, with 52 follows and 23 favs?! _**

**_2: Chakra Nature: The Fiery Rasengan!_**

* * *

Naruto lay on his bed role, sounds asleep, and snoring quietly. A fact that had not gone unnoticed by his furry tenant. The Kyubi sat on one of the many tree roots that now covered most of his home, just listening to the sound, and watching Naruto dream of beef ramen.

_**Now what kind of monster would I be to disrupt such a tasty dream?**_He said to himself with a toothy grin, _**A Bijuu of course!**_

The last thing that Naruto expected to happen while he was sleeping was for a tremendous roar to blast through his head and out both of his ears. The act startled the young shinobi so badly that he jumped up and and cleared the tree tops, screaming in fright. This woke up his two companions as well.

Tayuya came awake first, reaching for her flute, which she'd forgotten lay buried in the forest somewhere. "Look out!" Tayuya recognized the voice after a moment and looked up...a mistake as it turned out when Naruto landed on top of her not a second later.

"Argh, you fucktard! What the hell's wrong with you!" Tayuya yowled like an angry cat, scratching and punching anything she could reach on the unfortunate blonde.

"Itte! Tayuya-san, stop!" Naruto screamed, "I didn't mean it!" His flailing hands trying to stop the wild flurry of her arms, to add insult to injury, came into contact with something wonderfully soft. And the bombardment stopped for a moment. Naruto opened his eyes after a moment, and was horrified to find where his hand had landed. And even more so when he saw that Tayuya's normally pale complexion had turned an angry red that rivaled that in the Kyubi's eyes.

"YOU." One tick mark.

Naruto suddenly started sweating, "N-now Tayuya-san."

"FUCKING." Two tick marks.

"I-i-it was an accident!"

"_PERVERT_!" The red-head's fist shot up and cracked him right in the jaw, sending him skyward once again.

"DAAAAAH!" Naruto's flight was shorter this time as he flew past a very happy Jiraiya, who was scribbling furiously on his note pad as the little scene unfolded.

_Oh, yes, this is perfect! I think I'll call the next one Icha Icha: Habenera!_ He laughed gleefully as Naruto hit the ground. "You alright over there, Gaki?"

"S-she's sc-scarier than S-Sakura-chan" The boy twitched, a large bruise forming on his chin.

Jiraiya chuckled and put his notes away, "Sleep well, Tayuya-chan?"

"Fucking great," she muttered, "Until a blonde shithead landed on me!" She tried to get up, but found she couldn't move her legs. "What the fuck!"

"Can't move?" He asked. She gave him a nod. "That's normal for your sort of trauma. It'll take a day or two at the most, but I'm thinking you'll be moving around soon." He turned toward his downed apprentice, "What about you? Healed up yet?"

"I don't know," Naruto growled, "My ears are sort of ringing right now."

_**Thank you!** _His tenant said smugly.

_Baka fox! What did you have to do that for?! _

_**It was funny.**_

_Not from where I was sleeping!_

_**That's what made it so funny! You should have seen the look on your face when you**_**_ jumped_****! **The fox laughed, _**I haven't had that much fun since I tried to bite Madara Uchiha in half!**_

_Next time, just set an alarm clock! Now I've got Tayuya-san mad at me! _

_**Oh, boohoo, little Kit's mate is mad at him!**_

_Mate?! What the hell are you talking about! _

_**If it makes you feel any better, I approve of her. She's a feisty little vixen!**_

_Shut up! Am I healed yet?_

_**As a matter of fact, yes, you are. While you were sleeping last night, the last of the cursed chakra leaked out of your body and scattered to the winds. You're back in fighting condition, provided your mate doesn't break you, that is. **_

_She's not my - _

"Oi! Shithead!" Tayuya yelled, snapping out of his thoughts, "Stop ignoring me!"

"What? Oh! Sorry, Tayuya-san, what were you saying?"

It was Jiraiya that answered him, "We were both asking how you were feeling. Were you checking yourself with your gift?"

"Uh, yeah that's right," the blonde said, trying to keep up, "It looks like I'm back to a hundred percent!" He clenched his fist, then rubbed his jaw. Tayuya watched in amazement as the fist-shaped bruise she'd caused started to fade rapidly.

"Holy shit, that's some Kekkei Genkai," she sighed, "That old snake would have killed for such a skill."

"Don't even mention that traitor!" Naruto snapped, coming out of his thoughts, "He's caused my village too much trouble! He killed the Sandaime Hokage!"

"I know!" Tayuya snapped, looking down at her hands, "I-I was there that day."

"You - "

"Gaki, enough." Jiraiya was suddenly standing beside him with his hand on his shoulder, "What's done is done. Remember, she's out for snake blood now."

"Yeah," Naruto said, "Sorry, Tayuya-san."

Tayuya looked back at him in confusion. _What's sayin' sorry to me for_?

"Alright," Jiraiya said, clapping his hands together, "That's enough drama for the morning! Let's get going to the next village so we can get some real rese- I-I-I mean rest. Tayuya-chan still has to recover after all!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at his sensei, "You just wanna peak in the women's ba-mnymph!"

"Shut up, Gaki!" Jiraiya had clamped his hand over his mouth, "You're just not old enough to appreciate good literature!"

"Oi, what am I supposed to do?" Tayuya asked them, "Remember I still can't walk."

"Well," Jiraiya said, releasing Naruto, sending him to the ground with a yelp, "Since Naruto's back up to strength, he can carry you!"

"What!" Naruto yelled.

"No fucking way!" Tayuya shrieked, "That perv tried to grope me! I'm not going near him!"

"I told you that was an accident!"

**_This is just too good!_**The Kyubi laughed, literally thrashing his tails about in glee, **_Why not kiss and make up? A little smooch might loosen her up, ne? _**

_Will you stay out of this?! _Naruto yelled mentally.

**_Is that a trick question? I'm literally right in the middle of this, remember?_ **The fox's thundering laughter was starting to give Naruto a headache. _What the hell did I do to deserve this? _

The fox laughed maniacaly. **_You think this is bad? Just wait, I still haven't paid you back for this ridiculous collar! HA!_**Naruto didn't like the sound of that at all. Who knew that the Kyubi no Kitsune had such monstrous sense of humor?

_An hour later..._

"Don't get any fucking ideas," Tayuya grumbled in his ear, "I'm not doing this because I want to." Naruto growled in response as the girl clung to his back and shoulders.

"You think I'm happy about this?" He asked, glaring in front of them at their older companion, "I'm only doing this because Ero-senin told me to."

"Consider it as part of your training," he shot back over his shoulder with a wide grin, "Besides that, you could learn a thing or two from her."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like how to treat a lady," he grinned perversely. Naruto facefaulted. _A giant fox with a crazy sense of humor, a perverted Sannin, and a Kunnoichi with a big mouth. What next?_

**_I don't think you should have asked that,_**_** Kit**._

_Why?_

"Hold it!" Naruto's head snapped up. A man had stepped out onto the road. Naruto was immediately on the defensive. Tayuya hunkered down behind him, cursing because she didn't have anything to fight with. Not even her flute. The man, however, didn't appear to be a ninja. He wore a loose, tattered kimono, and sported a worn Katana at his hip.

Jiraiya gave the man a smile, "Ohayou, friend. Is there something I can help you with?"

The man smiled in return, "As a matter of fact, there is. You can leave all your money and valuables with me. Otherwise I can't garrantee your safety."

"Well, that certainly sounds tempting," Jiraiya said, rubbing his chin in thought, "But I'll have to pass, and risk the danger."

"What the hell his he doing?" Tayuya hissed at Naruto, "This guy's a bandit, isn't he?"

"Probably," Naruto hissed back, "But Ero-senin always gives people a chance to walk away." Naruto grinned, "If this comes to a fight, then you'll see just how good he is."

As Jiraiya made his intentions clear, the supposed bandit lost his smile. "I'm sorry to hear that. You seem like a nice guy, but my friends and I need to make a living." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Jiraiya kept the smile on his face as more than ten armed men stepped out from behind the trees. "You understand, of course?"

"Why of course," Jiraiya shrugged, "But you see this puts me in a rather compromising position. Now I'll have to put you and your men down."

"They'll rip you to shreds," the bandit smirked, "That fancy hitai is just a bluff. You never see ninja on the road."

"Oh no?" Jiraiya grinned, then he turned to smile at his two charges, "Naruto, Tayuya-chan, pay attention now. You'll both like what you see next, particularly you, Gaki."

Naruto freed one of his arms from holding Tayuya up on hi back and raised a fist to his sensei, "Go get'em Ero-senin!"

"Oi, I'm gonna fall you dipshit!" Tayuya cried as she clutched at him.

Jiraiya dropped his and Naruto's packs, and held up his hand, "Lesson of the day, Gaki's, _Nature Manipulation_." Naruto and Tayuya's eyes widened in interest. To Naruto, it was a familiar stance.

"What's he doing?" Tayuya asked.

"Watch." Naruto said.

"Now, you know that the _Rasengan_ is powerful," Jiraiya said, ignoring the bewildered looks of the bandits, and started to gather Chakra in the palm of his hand. The Chakra started to spin, forming a ball of dense, screaming power. "But did you know that it's actually an incomplete Jutsu?" A moment after saying this, the _Rasengan_ he held glowed red from the center and expanded out to the edges, and then _Rasengan_ began to turn black as a feiry aura formed around it, like a solar eclipse.

"Fuck he really is a ninja!" One of the bandits gasped, "Musashi, what'll we do?"

"You'll burn," Jiraiya growled, and leapt toward the leader, "_Katon: Goen Rasengan!_" Musashi didn't even have time to react before the Jutsu hit him. The result was a fiery tornado that exploded out, incinerating the bandit leader, and engulfing the men foolish enough to stand behind him.

"Holy shit!" Tayuya screamed, almost causing Naruto to go deaf, "What a Jutsu!"

"No kidding," Naruto growled, "I had no idea the _Rasengan_ could do something like that!" But the sight of the devastation caused by the Jutsu made his stomach churn. Musashi had gotten off lucky it seemed, leaving nothing but ashes behind. His followers weren't so lucky. The charred remains of the men standing behind the blast littered the road, while those that had stood farther out had been hit by the flames, leaving them burned beyond help.

Tayuya saw that he'd gone deathly pale. "What hell's wrong with you? Never seen a dead man before?"

"Not like this," Naruto admitted shamefully, "I've never been one for killing."

The remaining bandits had scattered by now, leaving behind their fallen men. Jiraiya dusted off his hands and picked up their bags. "Let's go you two, we need to keep going."

"You heard him," Tayuya smirked, patting him on the shoulder, "Mush!"

"I will so drop you," Naruto said, but followed after the old man as he started down the road again, trying to ignore the dead bodies.

Tayuya smirked and leaned on him, "Come on, you can't tell me you're not liking this? You've got a hot girl on your back, enjoy it!"

"Hmph, funny you'd want me to enjoy this when you keep calling me names instead of using my real name, Ta-yu-ya-_chan_." Naruto smirked at her as the girl blushed at the affectionate term.

"I'll take that form Jiji, but not you, Shithead!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, and yanked back, "What's my name, Fucker!"

"T-Ta-yu-ga-ya-s-san!" Naruto choked, gasping around her arms.

"That's better!" Tayuya released him.

"Crazy bit-"

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Naruto yelled.

"That's what I thought," she smiled smugly.

"Oi, lovebirds, pick it up!" Jiraiya yelled, already far ahead of them.

"You heard him," Tayuya said, "Move it, Shithead-kun."

"Kun, eh?" Naruto smirked, making her blush again, then he shrugged, "Well, I guess it's a start. Hang on!" Pushing Chakra into his feet, he shot forward. Jiraiya saw him coming and smiled.

"Race you to the next village!"

"You're on!" Naruto grinned, forgetting that Tayuya was still clinging to his back, who now had to hold on for dear life as the two ninja poured on the speed.

"Oi! Take it easy! Slow the fuck down!" Tayuya yelled, but her voice was torn away by the wind, "Oi, Shithead! Jiji! Knock it off! _Help_!"

Naruto laughed, happy for at least a little payback.

_**You know she's gonna kill you when you stop, don't you?**_ The Kyubi asked.

_I know, but this is worth it after getting strangled! _Naruto grinned.

**_This, opposed to that pink-haired vixen back in Konoha?_**

_Leave Sakura-chan out of this!_ He snapped, _She's not that bad! _

_**Sure,**_the fox droned, **_all she did was hit you whenever you got in the way of her and that Uchiha brat who put not one, but two holes in your chest! Face it, Kit, you're better off with this red vixen than the pink one. She's fun! _**

_Can we drop my love life, please? Besides, she hates me! _

_**Oh ye of little faith. Hate can turn into love faster than I destroy a village. Besides that, she doesn't hate you. Believe me, I am nothing but hatred personified. If I had to guess, I'd say she's leaning toward trusting you. **_

_So what? She's traveling with us and she doesn't trust us? _

_**She doesn't trust you, Kit,** _the fox clarified, **_The old man saved her life and healed her wounds, so she knows he means no harm. You on the other hand fought with ...I take that back. You didn't fight her, you jumped over her!_**

_Ah, shut up! I was in a hurry! _

_**She's probably still sore about being ignored in a fight like that. Either way, I'm going to take a nap. I suggest you watch where you're going. **_

_What are you - _

"Oi! Watch where you're fucking going!" Tayuya screamed. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts...and came face to trunk with a tree.

Ten minutes later Naruto was nursing more than his bruised pride, but lots of lumps on his head thanks to Tayuya after he'd collided with the tree while he'd been conversing with the fox.

The fox, of course, thought this was hilarious and made it a point of laughing loudly enough that Naruto's ears were ringing more than when he'd gotten hit.

"Do that again, and I swear I'll fucking kill you!" Tayuya threatened him with another rap on the head, "How the fuck could you not see that fucking tree? Seriously, are you an idiot?"

Jiraiya laughed while scribbling furiously in his note pad again, "Introducing the Leaf's number one most unpredictable, hyperactive, knucklehead ninja, Naruto Uzumaki!" This made Naruto feel worse as Tayuya started laughing at his title.

"Fucking serious!"

"Yup." Jiraiya told her as they continued walking, "But I find that being unpredictable is one of his best qualities." Naruto smiled at that, happy with the compliment.

_Kekashi said the same thing,_ he thought.

"So," Jiraiya said, "What did you two think of my _Rasengan_?"

Naruto perked up at the mention of the Jutsu, "That was awesome! When did you make it?"

Tayuya muscled her way above his head, "Yeah, that was fucking sweet! I've never seen a Jutsu like that!"

"Hahaha, don't worry, both of you will be learn how to do that on this trip, just as soon as Tayuya-chan is recovered!" Jiraiya laughed, watching the as the two of them broke into smiles, "That reminds me, Tayuya, what kind of Jutsu do you specialize in?"

Tayuya blushed, "W-well, I used a flute to cast Genjutsu, and I have a summoning contract with the Doki tribe."

"That will have to change," Jiraiya said, "Those monsters have been known to attack their summoner often, which is why so few carry the contract. I'll have you speak with Bunta about signing the toad contract. As for the Genjutsu, that's fine. We'll find you a suitable flute. And then we'll work on your Ninjutsu."

Tayuya frowned, "Fuck that, I suck at Ninjutsu!"

"Not for long," Naruto said, smiling back at her, "I can even teach you the_ Kage Bunshin no Jutsu _if you want?"

"You know a B-rank Jutsu like that?" Tayuya was skeptical, "Next I suppose you'll tell me that you can do a _Rasengan_?"

"He does, actually," Jiraiya said, surprising her, "Though he has to use a _bunshin_ to help him. But it's still powerful."

"Yeah, I'm awesome, dattebayo!"

"Huh, must be a fucking C-rank Jutsu then." Tayuya muttered.

"Actually," Jiraiya said, catching her, "It's an A-rank, and it was created by my own student and the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze."

Tayuya smirked and reached around to pinch Naruto's cheek, "And this shrimp can use it? Not bad, Shithead-kun."

"Could you please use my name?" Naruto huffed, twisting his face out of her grip, "This is annoying!"

"You're shithead as long as I'm around," Tayuya laughed, grabbing both his cheeks and giving them both a good pull. That was enough for Naruto, who released his hold on her legs. Tayuya shrieked loudly as she slid down his back, and bumped her bottom on the ground. "That hurt, you jackass! The hell's wrong with you!"

"What's wrong with you?" Naruto growled back, "I've been nice this whole trip and you done nothing but insult me!"

Jiraiya laughed at the two as they started up another argument, and went to find a tree to sit under until they were done. At this point, Tayuya was trying to get her legs back under herself. But the girl was still weak after being stuck under that tree, and kept stumbling back to the ground. Naruto jeered at her each time, laughing loudly with each bump.

Tayuya was in a blind rage after that, and finally succeeded in standing, wobbling toward the taunting blonde. Jiraiya was about to intervene when Tayuya tripped and lost her balance. Jiraiya winced, it would be a bad fall with such a rocky road. Naruto noticed this, too, and lunged forward and got under her, keeping her upright.

"Oh?" Jiraiya hummed in interest.

The fall had brought her face very close to his own, which caused a blush he hadn't seen since he'd surprised Hinata while hanging from the academy ceiling. It made her look...cute.

_**I'd be more worried about myself if I were you right now.**_The fox said as he watched the little scene unfold, though he was just as interested as the old senin. _**With that temper of her's she might attack you. **_

_Shut up, Kyubi, _he said quietly. Not really caring. At this point he'd earned a beating after taunting her like he'd done. But Tayuya was too surprised by the fact that he'd caught her before she fell to even get angry at him.

"S-s-sorry," he muttered, then leaned up to set her back on her feet, "I didn't mean to go that far."

"Fine, S-shithead," Tayuya said, adopting her usual scowl, and slung her arm around his shoulder, "Now help me walk. I can't keep being carried around!"

"Right," he said, and wrapped his arm around her surprisingly slim waist, which made her blush deeper. "Ehm, oi, Ero-senin! How much further to the village?"

Jiraiya smiled at them for a moment and pointed on down the road, "Not much further, and when we get there, we can begin your training. Both of you."

_At the village..._

Tayuya gladly feel onto the soft futon that had been laid out for them. "Man this feels so good!" She said happily, "I never want to sleep on the ground again!"

Jiraiya walked into the room chuckling at the girl's antics, "Well, you can bet that I'll try to keep us in comfort while we travel, dear. But I can't promise it'll always be this way."

The hotel they'd found was a fairly nice one, though, much to the senin's disappointment, it didn't have an onsen so he could preform his research, but it had good food and plenty of warm bedding against to coming fall weather.

Tayuya giggled softly as she snuggled down into the futon, "I honestly don't care! I had a really fucked up training regiment that made me sleep in worse things than the woods!" She sat up, looking around the room, "Oi, where's Shithead-kun?"

"Washing up," Jiraiya said, sitting down on his own futon, "Why? Missing his broad shoulders?" Jiraiya laughed. Tayuya flipped him the bird.

"As if!" She said, "I still haven't fucking forgot about him touching my chest!"

Jiraiya grinned, "Oh come on! That gaki wouldn't know what to do with a woman. Even if she told him!"

"You're fucking kidding, right?" She asked, "Most villages let their ninja marry young to keep th population going, don't they?"

"That would be the case, but our village has had too many troubles these past years, such as the destruction of the Uchiha clan, and the death of the last Hokage. And now we've lost the last living member of the Uchiha to Orochimaru." He said, counting off the events in his mind. "None of the younger generation has even thought about it."

Tayuya scoffed, "And no one thought to hurry up and force the Uchiha-teme to marry?"

Jiraiya nodded, "The councel did have that idea, which would have invoked the Clan Restoration Act, giving the boy quite a harem."

"Fucking sick," Tayuya muttered, "What woman would want to share her man?"

Jiraiya smirked at her, "I know a few in the village that wouldn't have minded, as long as they got Sasuke as a husband."

"I repeat, fucking sick."

Jiraiya chuckled, "You know, you remind me of girl I watched grow up long ago." He sighed, thinking back on the memories. "She was one hell of a firecracker. Red-headed, too."

Tayuya narrowed her eyes at the old man, and crossed her arms over her chest, "Look, Jiji, I'm grateful and all, but I'm no one's fuck buddy!" This caused Jiraiya to howl with laughter, and Tayuya shivered.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that, Tayuya-chan!" He chuckled, "I'm just making a comparison! I was already old when she was a child. And she grew up right in front of me, and married one of my students." He shook his head. "They were the closest thing I had to children."

Tayuya drew her legs up to her chest, "You seem pretty close to, Naruto."

"Oh!" Jiraiya laughed, pointing at her, "You finally said his name!"

Tayuya blushed, "Shut the hell up!"

Still chuckling, Jiraiya raised his hands, giving in, "You're right, he and I are close." He said, smiling, "I think of him like a grandson."

_With Naruto..._

Naruto sank deeper into the tub, letting the hot water relax his muscles. "Damn, I never thought a girl could be so heavy." He reached up and pounded lightly on his right shoulder, "But at least we made it."

_**Kit?** _

_What now? _Naruto sighed. _I'm trying to relax! _

_**I need to talk to you!**_The Kyubi snapped, **_Now get in here! _**

_Jeeze, alright already! _He winced when the Kyubi roared at him. He closed his eyes and let himself be drawn back into his mind. But instead of a tree branch or the ground, he found himself sitting in a very large onsen hidden under the trees. He looked around in surprise and found the Kyubi lounging happily in the deeper end.

_**About time, Kit. We need to** **talk**. _He said when he saw the blonde.

_What is it now? You know I've had a hell of a day because of you! _

_**Forget about that for now, Kit. You remember what the old man told you about feeding your body properly? **_

_Yeah, he said I could eat as much ramen as I used to! _

_**As you should!** _The Kyubi snapped. _**Anyway, since he's going to be managing what you eat from now on, I thought I'd let you know that I'll be pushing your growth out as well!**_

_What do mean, "push"? _

_**I mean that in the next month, I'm going to make sure that you're at least a foot taller!** _

_You can do that? _

_**Yes, and from I've been able to learn from your body, you should be about six foot one by the time you're sixteen! Do you realize how stunted you are? You're barely five feet tall right now! **_

_Really? _

_**Again, yes, so be prepared, Kit. You're in for some intense growing pains! **_

Naruto looked up at the massive fox. _This is still payback for the collar, isn't it? _

_**Actually, no. That I'll save for later. And I have a feeling that you might actually enjoy it.** _

Naruto shivered, not liking the sound of that at all.

* * *

_**Well there's chapter 2. I hope you all enjoyed as much as i did. Stay tuned! Again constructive criticism is welcomed!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Once again, I am shocked to see how much attention this story is getting! And I have to extend my profound thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing it! Now a little something about this chapter. You'll be seeing a reference to Karin somewhere in here so, don't be surprised I'll explain it at the end!**_

_**3: The Legacy of the Uzumaki Clan**_

* * *

When Naruto had finished speaking with the Kyubi, his bath had already gotten cold, and he was hungry. He got out of the water and found that he was the only one left in the room. _The fox must have kept me in there for a while. _He thought. _Wonder if there's anything left for dinner? _Wrapping a towel around his waist, he made his way to the dressing room to find the kimono the hotel had provided them.

When he was dressed and entered the hall, there was no one in sight, and the sun had gone down. _Great. Just how long was I in there? Next time I see that fox, I'll shave his tails! _

The fox in question chuckled darkly as he caught the thoughts running through his jailers mind.

Naruto sighed and went to his room instead of making his way to the dining hall, seeing no sense in bothering the kitchen staff. He looked down at his clothes. The orange jump suit looked terrible after Sasuke had gotten done with him. It was filled with holes and tears from all the fighting. Thinking on it, he figured it was time to get something new.

_**Something less orange would be** **good**_**. **The Kyuubi said. _**Something that doesn't scream "Here I am! Come kill me!" Ne?** _

_Don't you ever shut up? _Naruto asked, deciding think about it in the morning. But the clothes were ruined either way. _Tayuya will need clothes, too. _That thought made him blush. The girl didn't seem to notice, but her clothes were wosre off than his were...and just a little embarrassing depending where you looked.

_**Oho? Thinking about your future mate, Kit? I have to say that she'd make a fine Kitsune. Couldn't you just imagine her with whiskers?**_

_Shut up, Kyuubi. I'm not in the mood for your jokes! _

_**Well, you seemed to be having some very "interesting" thoughts of her right now. Though I'm suppressing them for the moment. I don't need you passing out from lack of blood and giving me more work to do. **_

_Yeah, right! Like I'd think about that loud-mouthed little brat! _

_**She may be that way now, Kit, but she will grow. She reminds me of my former Jinchuuriki host. And there is no denying your attraction to her after what happened earlier today. Or do you think I missed how your heart skipped a beat, or the thought of her being "cute" ran through your mind? **_

_That doesn't matter, baka kyuubi, I like Sakura! _

_**Glutton.** _The fox said.

Naruto sighed, shutting off his connection to the Bijuu and crept down the hall.

xXx

While Tayuya had curled up and fallen asleep, Jiraiya had stayed up to wait for Naruto. "Oi, where've you been all this time?" he asked when the door slid open as the young blonde walked into the room.

"Sorry," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head, "My friend wanted to talk to me." Jiraiy nodded, understanding. "Is there anything left from dinner?" Jiraiya pointed to a tray of food at the edge of his futon.

"I had the house keeper bring that here after we missed you," he said, grinning, "I almost had to keep Tayuya-chan from eating it!" Naruto nodded gratefully and sat down to eat.

"I've wanted to ask," Naruto said, picking up his chopsticks, "How could she survive on a few pieces of rice like she said she could?"

"That's a fair question," Jiraiya said thoughtfully, "I've heard of monks that can do it with lots of training and discipline, but I have a feeling it's more of a mind over matter thing. Tayuya probably had the help of some drug enhancements from Orochimaru while her training went on. It's why she's not malnourished like some people would be at that age.

"See, Gaki, when that snake gets a hold of someone he deems useful, he'll make sure he can use them at their fullest, not matter how far he has to go. Unfortunately, our new friend is probably going to suffer for it soon."

"Why?" Naruto asked, looking up from his meal, and not liking what he heard.

Jiraiya sighed and gave the boy a sad look, "Naruto, have you ever seen what happens to someone that's had drugs used on them most of their life, and they're suddenly cut off?" Naruto shook his head. "I didn't think so. To put it mildly, she's about to go through the pits of hell. She mighty not even be able to control her body. And then there's the hallucinations."

Naruto shivered, "Kami I hate that bastard! Is that what's going to happen to Sasuke?"

"Most likely," Jiraiya nodded, "Remember, though, he'll want Sasuke in perfect health because of his body transfer Jutsu. He'll just be conditioning him into a fighter."

"Okay, so what'll we do? I'm mean Sasuke's getting stronger every minute he spends with him." Naruto said.

"That's where this training comes in," Jiraiya said, "Remember I told you that I'd help you harness the power of the fox?" Naruto nodded again. "Good, then you'll know that the more of his Chakra you can use safely, the stronger you'll become."

"Right," the blonde nodded, looking over at the sleeping girl, "What can we do to help her?"

Sighing Jiraiya said, "There's not much we can do, I'm afraid, no healing Ninjutsu I've heard of can lighten what's about to happen. And I'm warning you, it won't be pretty."

Naruto smiled, "Well, it's like you said, we can't just leave her, ne?" Jiraiya smiled at that as the boy finished his meal. "That reminds me, Kyuubi told me that he'd be messing with my growth soon to catch me up. Apparently I'm suppose to grow a foot by the end of the month."

"Geh," Jiraiya blanched, "Gaki, you know how much that's gonna hurt? You'll almost be as bad as Tayuya-chan!"

"Nah, I'm sure the old fur ball won't make it that bad." Naruto said, giving him a fox-like grin. Jiraiya rolled his eyes and settled down for the night. Naruto followed suit, quickly falling asleep to Jiraiya's loud snoring.

While the boy slept, however, the kyuubi started his work.

_**Fur ball, eh? Well let's see how you handle your first growth spurt!**_

The next morning, Jiraiya woke up to the sound of pained groaning...from both young shinobi! "What the - " He jolt up, throwing of the blanket, and looked over at his charges. His eyes immediately fell on Tayuya, who'd thrown off her blanket, and nearly wriggled out of her kimono in her attempts to cool down. The girl's body was covered in sweat, and her cheeks were flushed with fever, making her breathing labored.

"Shit, I didn't think it'd happen this fast!" Jiraiya growled, kneeling beside her, "Tayuya, can you hear me?" The girl opened her eyes, which were red and blood-shot, and looked up at him.

"Jiji...I don't...feel right..." She gasped, "I feel so hot!"

Jiraiya reached out and patted her forehead, "Just take it easy, and I'll get you some help." He looked over at Naruto and groaned, "Ah, shit, Naruto, not you, too!"

Naruto, for his part, was trying to move, but his body wouldn't allow it. He was on his elbows and knees, curling into himself, and trying to get up. "That fucking fox!" Naruto gasped, "I'm sticking him right back in his cage when see him again!" He groaned again and fell over onto his side, "Dammit!"

"I warned you it would be bad!" Jiraiya growled, "Now I have two sick gaki's to look after!"

"W-what's wrong with T-tayuya-c-chan?" Naruto moaned.

"She's drying up," Jiraiya said simply, "And it's causing a bad fever." He got up and strode to the door, "I'll be back. I need to find someone to help me with her, and you, for that matter. Neither of you will be moving for a while."

Tayuya watched him go, her vision blurred by the heat of the fever. She looked over at the blonde boy who had started struggling to get up again. "Oi...shit... head... kun. What's ...wrong?"

"Just a little muscle stress," he groaned, managing to to get his right foot under him, "You okay, Tayuya-chan?"

"Don't call me that!" She yelled, some of her energy coming back to her, but then she fell into a coughing fit.

_Shit, this is bad! _She thought, _What's happening to me? _Her body felt like it was on fire, and her skin was stinging her whenever she moved.

Naruto slowly moved over to her side, careful not to let his dragging feet catch in the futons, and knelt beside her. "Can I get anything for you?"

"Don't b-bother," she said, "You're just as bad as I am, Shithead-k-kun." Naruto nodded, and sat beside her. His face reddened a little as he took in her state of dress, or lack there of. Thankfully Tayuya was too out of it for her to notice.

_**Like what you see, Kit?**_

_Shut it, asshole, this isn't the time for your jokes! _But the kyuubi just smiled his toothy smile as Naruto's eyes remained on the girl.

Naruto hadn't ever seen a girl's body before now, but even now when she was sick, he knew that Tayuya was a beauty. Her heaving chest brought back memories of the previous day and all the times she'd pressed herself against his back, and the feeling of his hand on her -

_No! Bad! Don't turn into Ero-senin! _Naruto shook his head.

**_Face it, Kit, you're attracted to her!_ **Kyuubi growled, **_You're more stubborn than the Sanbi!_**

_Should I even care who or what that is? _

_**That would be the three-tailed turtle, one of my siblings, though he is the laziest creature I have ever had the displeasure to know. Speaking of displeasure, when are you going to tell the vixen our little secret?**_The kyuubi growled, **_If you two are going to train together, then she'll need to know about me sooner or later. _**

_Don't remind me. _Naruto sighed, then groaned as a fresh bout of pain hit him, _And can't you do anything about this?! _

The demon fox merely laughed and went silent, leaving Naruto to suffer. _Sadistic flea bag! _

"NO!" Naruto whipped his head at the frightened shriek and found Tayuya thrashing around with her arms around her face as if she was warding off something.

"Tayuya!" Naruto gasped, scrambling over, "Tayuya what is it?!"

No! Get away!" She swung at him, barely clipping his cheek.

"What the hell's the matter with you!?"

"I don't wanna do it anymore!" She screamed, "It hurts! Please stop!"

"What?" Naruto was stunned, "What hurts, Tayuya?" He leaned over her into her line of sight. Tayuya looked up at him with wild fear. In her state of mind what she saw was Orochimaru and Kabuto leaning over her with a syringe and scalpel.

_"Kukukuku, but Tayuya-chan, we still have so much to do!_" Orochimaru said as the needle descended.

"No! Please!"

"Oi!" Naruto ducked as she lashed out again. He caught her wrist and pulled her to him, "Tayuya, look, you're safe! It's me! Remember? Shithead-kun?!" She fought him, naturally, still caught in her delusions, but felt the familiar warmth and strength as he wrapped his arms around her.

Her fighting stopped after a moment, to Naruto's relief, and she broke into shuddering sobs. "Mother..."

"Oh boy," he sighed, sensing another round of violence. But the girl remained relatively calm in his arms as she cried. "Easy, Tayuya," he stroked her hair soothingly, "Remember, you'll always be safe with us." He said, holding her tightly, "We'll protect you. Just stay with us."

Tayuya felt the comforting sensation of someone patting her hair and sighed, moving closer, inadvertently, into Naruto's chest. _Who is that?_ She wondered. _Naruto? _With that she drifted off into a blissfully dreamless sleep. Naruto sighed in relief as the girl drifted off. He didn't know how much more punishment his body could handle after his muscles settled into his new size.

He moved to lay her back down so she could sleep more comfortably, but the girl clung to him in her sleep, moaning in protest when he tried to pry her off, which left him with few options.

_Great, what if she wakes up with me here? _But seeing the peaceful look on Tayuya's face made him want to keep it that way.

**_You might as well lay with her, Kit. Her pain isn't over yet, though the worst has passed. _**

_She get angry if she wakes up in my arms._ He pointed out.

**_But you want her to be comfortable, ne? I can sense a great amount of fear radiating from the vixen. Much like the hatred radiating from the Uchiha brat's Chakra when the curse mark took him._ **

Naruto sighed in defeat. The fox had him pinned, and he really didn't want to see her screaming again. And she felt so fragile clinging to him like that while her body was still flushed with fever. _Dammit! _

The fox grinned as his jailer laid them both gently down as the girl curled into him. Within minutes Naruto fell asleep, ignoring the pain in his throbbing body caused by his growth.

This is how Jiraiya found them when he returned minutes later with an older woman in tow carrying a bowl of water and a cloth to keep the girl cool. Jiraiya smiled at the sight of them.

Tayuya had snaked her arms around Naruto's waist in her sleep, burrowing her face into his chest.

"Well, isn't that a cute thing to see?" The woman cooed, kneeling down to the girl's side, "Are they a couple?"

Jiraiya smirked, "Not yet, but give it time." She smiled and moved Tayuya's hands gently, drawing a little moan of protest from her. "Will you be able to help her, Tomoe-san?"

The woman frowned as she took in the girl's condition, charging her hands with blue-green Chakra and passing it over the girl's body, "This child is going through a severe withdrawal." Jiraiya hissed. Tomoe smiled up at him, "Do not worry. It seems she's coming out of it rather quickly."

"How is that possible?" Jiraiya asked, astonished, "Withdrawal usually lasts for quite some time."

Tomoe shook her head, "I'm not sure, but it seems this boy's Chakra may be leaking into her and purging the toxins from her system. Is he an Uzumaki?"

"He is," Jiraiya nodded, "I knew that they had very large Chakra reservoirs, but I didn't think they could do such things as this?"

"Indeed, Jiraiya-sama, they could." Tomoe said, smiling, "Some branches of the family were able to heal the physical injuries, and restore the chakra of others by allowing them to bite a part of their bodies. Others could heal illness by forcing the Chakra through the ailing person's system, as this boy is unconsciously doing now."

"Hmm," Jiraiya said thoughtfully, "It's a shame, though. He's the last of his clans."

"Truly," she said, "They were wonderful people if my memory serves me correctly." She reached out and brushed a few golden locks away from the blonde's face. "It's strange, though, I always knew the Uzumakis to have red hair like this girl does, yet his is blonde."

"His mother had red hair," Jiraiya said quietly, then bowed to her, "Thank you for coming. I was at my wits end when Tayuya-chan became sick."

Tomoe smiled at him again, and reached for the cloth to dip it into the water. "Think nothing of it. I'm happy to put my old skills to use after so long." She said as she began washing the sweat from Tayuya's face and neck. "I noticed that her legs had recently been healed from being broken. Was that your doing?"

"It was," he nodded, "I'm proficient in a bone setting Jutsu that even works on shattered bone. Plus I applied a special oil that heals muscles, gashes and skin abrasions."

"You did a good job," Tomoe said, impressed, "There's almost no bone damage left."

Jiraiya sighed in relief, "Good to know I was able to help." He noticed that Tayuya kept one hand clasped on Naruto's kimono, her fingers barely touching the skin. _I wonder if it's really his own ability, or the kyuubi's influence? _"Is Chakra still flowing into her?"

"Yes, but it's just the bare minimum now, since she's just barely touching him," she said, moving down the girl's body. Tayuya jumped when Tomoe reached her ribs. "Oh, someone's a little ticklish!" She giggled girlishly. "Be sure to tell the boy that!"

Jiraiya smirked, "You little devil!"

xXx

The next morning Tayuya's eyes fluttered open after the strangest dream she'd ever had. She dreamed that someone was holding her, and running their hand through her hair and whispering to her in a comforting voice...which made even stranger when she opened her eyes and came face to face with a chest.

"What the fuck?"

"Awake, are you?" She twisted around and found Jiraiya sitting by the window. "Good. How are you feeling, Tayuya-chan?"

"How do I feel?" She said, her mind still fogged with sleep, "I think I feel good." She smiled, starting to wake up properly. "Better that good. I feel fucking great!"

Jiraiya chuckled, "That's good to hear." He got up and placed his hand on her forehead, "Hmm, your fever's gone. I have to admit, the gaki's got a real gift!"

"The hell you talkin' about, Jiji?" She asked, and he pointed over to her side. She sat up, feeling something slip off her waist. "What the fuck!" She jumped up and whirled around. Jiraiya laughed loudly, not even disturbing the still sleeping Naruto.

"Surprised?" Jiraiya snickered.

"Fuck yeah, what the hell's he doing in my bed?!" She yelled, "And with his arms around me!"

"Calm down," Jiraiya said, trying to soothe the irate kunoichi, "He actually helped you. Remember that healing ability of his?"

"Yeah." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, and don't tell him this," she looked at him in surprise, "I know it doesn't makes sense, but his head already too big for his shoulders." She snickered at that and nodded. "Alright, last night, and I don't know what lead to it, but you two wound up with your arms around each other. while you were passed out, some of Naruto's Chakra forced its way into you and purged everything Orochimaru drugged you with out of your body."

Tayuya looked back down at the sleeping blonde, "Holy shit, just what kind of Kekkei Genkai is that?"

"Something he doesn't need to know about yet." Jiraiya said, earning a questioning look from her, "He tries too hard when it comes to helping someone, and if he knew of the ability, then he'd probably kill himself."

"So," she said, "he stayed with me all fucking night?"

"Actually," Jiraiya smiled widely, "You wouldn't let go of him when I came back."

"Bull shit!" Tayuya yelled, reaching down to throw a pillow at him, which he dodged easily, "There's no way I'd do that!"

"If you say so, Tayuya-chan," he chuckled, "Anyway, why don't you go take a bath? The medical ninja I found last night cleaned you up nicely, but a nice hot bath will probably feel nice."

"Hmph!" The girl strode out of the room, slamming the door shut, and waking up Naruto, finally, who looked around groggily.

"Wha's goin' on?" He asked sleepily.

"Nothing," Jiraiya said, grinning, "Just teasing Tayuya-chan. You feeling better this morning?"

"Yeah, actually," he rotated his shoulders, "The fox must have finished with me. Do I look any taller?" He stood up, letting the old man see.

Jiraiya stepped around him, sizing the boy up. "You know? I think you are just a little taller. Five two I think."

"All that, and for so little!?" Naruto whined.

_**You're welcome, you ungrateful kit!**_

Naruto ignored the fox, and looked around for Tayuya, and not seeing her. "Oi, Ero-senin, where's Tayuya? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Gaki, and she just stepped out to take a bath." Jiraiya said, smiling at the boy, "I must say, you two looked pretty cute laying there together." Then he broke out laughing as the blonde's face bordered apple red. "Oh come on, Gaki, what magic did you use on her?!"

"Shut up!" He stomped out of the room, "I'm gonna go get some food!"

"No ramen!" Jiraiya yelled after him, hearing the boy stumble when he did. "Ah, this is gonna be a such a fun trip!" Chuckling to himself, he followed the boy's example and went to see about breakfast.

xXx

Tayuya grumbled as she scrubbed her skin furiously. _I can't believe I clung to that baka! _She thought angrily. _This is all Orochi-teme's fault! Fucking hell, he probably thinks I'm some weak little pussy now! _She reached for a bucket and poured it's contents over herself, drenching her from head to toe. _But, _she thought, calming herself a little, _it felt really nice. And warm. _She remembered dreaming of someone patting her hair. _Was that him?_

* * *

_**Now as promised I'll explain about this little gift I gave to Naruto. Karin is, in fact an Uzumaki by blood, albeit on the wrong side, but an Uzumaki nonetheless, so I figured I'd give something similar to Naruto to make things interesting. Again, as always, constructive criticism is welcome, as well as opinions of the chapter over all.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Let's get to the crazy parts, shall we? **_

_**4: The Beginning of Friendship**_

* * *

"Alright, gakis, today is the day," the toad senin said happily, "We'll be working on improving those skills of yours." Before him stood two very excited shinobi dressed in karate gi's in light of them not having descent clothing anymore. "First, Naruto, show Tayuya how to do the _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_."

"Hai!" Naruto eagerly made the clone seal, "_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Tayuya watched in awe as over a hundred puffs of white smoke exploded all around them, followed by over a hundred Narutos. A moment later he undid the Jutsu.

Jiraiya smiled at the stunned girl's expression but clapped his hands, "Impressive as always, Gaki, a little excessive but impressive."

"Tee hee, thanks!" He said, then looked over at Tayuya, "Still think it was bull?"

"Ah shut the fuck up!" Tayuya snapped, "If a dumbass like you can do it, then there's no way I can lose!" She clapped her hands together, forming the seal.

"Hold it!" Jiraiya shouted, startling her, "Tayuya, before you try to imitate him, you should know he has an unusually large Chakra reservoir, so it's only natural that he produces this many clones." He said, "I want you to keep it simple, and try for at least one _Bushin_ for the first try."

"Aw," she whined. She formed the seal again, _"Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" The same puff of smoke appeared, along with another Tayuya. "Fuck yeah!" Both yelled and high-fived each other.

"Well done!" Jiraiya laughed, "That's impressive considering that this was your first try! Now, what I want you to do is work on how many Bushins you're able to summon, but don't over do it." Jiraiya warned. "Remember, you're still recovering, and I wouldn't want you suffering from Chakra exhaustion."

"Hai, Jiji!" Both Tayuyas said.

"What about me?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya smiled evilly at him, making the blonde gulp, "You, Gaki, will be working on your _Rasengan_." Naruto sighed with relief. "Oh, don't look so please. You will be working on performing the Jutsu with out your _Bushins_, and using only one hand!"

"What?!" Naruto whine, "But you know I can't do it with out them!"

"That's the problem, Gaki!" Jiraiya snapped, holding out his hand and forming his own _Rasengan_, "Look at that, one hand, no _Bushin_, simple, yet you have to rely on a _Bushin_ to help with the power and containment of the Chakra needed to form this Jutsu, giving you less Chakra to work with in the long run. If you can do it the way I can, you'll have more shots if you miss your target."

Naruto's face fell, "Yeah, I guess."

_That, _Tayuya thought, _was fuckin' harsh. Even if he is right about it. _"When will I learn it?" She asked, her face lighting up.

"As soon as you can produce ten _Bushin _without exhausting yourself." Jiraiya said, grinning, pulling out a scroll from his robes, and opening it on the ground. "_Kai_!" Two large boxes appeared, one filled will small rubber balls, and the other with what looked like water balloons. He tossed a ball to Naruto. "You know the drill right?"

"Yeah," he said, catching it, "So no _Bushins _at all?"

"Now that I didn't say," Jiraiya said, which confused him, "I know I said you weren't allowed to use them to form the Jutsu, but you can used them in a different way."

"Really? How!" Naruto asked eagerly.

"The _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_ is unique among that type of Jutsu, because when one is dispelled, the memories and experiences are immediately sent back to the caster." He said, still grinning. "Such as progress on a certain A-rank Jutsu."

"You mean if we do something right that helps the Jutsu along," Tayuya said, "we dispel the _Bushin _that had that bit of progress and we get it from them?"

"Bingo," the old man smiled, "Which is why I'd like you to be able to do ten _Bushins_ without mush Chakra exhaustion so you can properly form the _Rasengan_. It's such a dense amount of Chakra, it took the Yondaime three years to complete it."

"Screw that!" Tayuya smirked, "I won't need that long!"

_One hour later_...

"Fuck it! This is impossible!" An exhausted red-head snapped as she gasped for breath from the ground where she lay, "How the hell did you even get this down, Shithead!?"

"Urgh, would you keep it down! I'm trying to concentrate!" Naruto grunted. So far, the two were in the same boat. While Tayuya could create two _Bushins_ without a problem, ten was a stretch. She'd started feeling dizzy when she reached four, which pissed her off and caused her to go all out, producing eight _Bushins_, and immediately falling over, dispelling the Jutsu.

Naruto wasn't having any luck either. Out of the thirty _Bushins _he'd created, none of them had made progress with a one-handed _Rasengan_ yet. He had the rotation down, yet when it came to the power needed to burst open one of the rubber balls, he only succeeded in making the ball convulse but not burst.

Suddenly. "Oi! I did it!" One of the _Bushins_ shouted, raising a cheer from the others. Naruto quickly dispelled the Jutsu. However, once all the _Bushins_ were gone, the exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Gehehe," Naruto groaned, "I think I over did it."

Jiraiya had been watching them from the shade of a tree as their training session had gone on, and he was pleasantly surprise by the progress, even if he wouldn't admit it yet.

_See that, Minato? _He thought, _He's growing up to be a splendid Shinobi right in front of me. Just like you. _He laughed when Tayuya wobbled over and started pestering the blonde for tips on the _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_, and Naruto just whined for her to leave him alone and let him rest.

He chuckled at Tayuya's antics when the girl tried to pull Naruto to his feet, only to get dragged down herself in her own weakness. "Oi, watch your fucking hands!"

"Get off'a me!" Naruto yelled.

"I'm not on you!" Tayuya yelled.

"Oi!" Jiraiya yelled, "Knock it off! You're supposed to be training!"

"Shut up!" Both teens yelled. A tick mark popped up on his head as he got up and strode toward the squabbling pair. They didn't see him coming and kept arguing about whom was on whom until a shadow passed over them, causing the two to look up at an irritated Sannin.

"Gakis." Jiraiya cracked his knuckles loudly. Naruto and Tayuya gulped. "Rule number one: Always _respect_ your sensei!"

xXx

The day ended with two tired and beat up teens returning to their room at the hotel and falling onto their futons. "This hell." Tayuya muttered tiredly. "I almost miss Orochimaru!"

"This is nothing," Naruto muttered, "He threw me off a cliff once."

"Fuck meeee," Tayuya moaned, "Why would he do that?"

"So I could summon a toad." Naruto said simply. making the girl paler than usual.

"He's not gonna do that to _me_, is he?" She asked.

"Nope," he groaned, "Your Chakra control's better than mine, so no extreme measures."

"Thank Kami for that," she sighed, "Goodnight, Shithead-kun."

"Are you ever going to use my name?"

"Hell no." Tayuya grinned.

Naruto scowled at her for a minute, only causing her to grin wider until she burst out laughing. "Nice face, Shithead-kun!"

Naruto growled, but couldn't stay angry and ended up smiling, "Glad you like my face."

xXx

Jiraiya was strolling through the little village in hopes of finding something worth researching, but there was nothing, unfortunately. "Next village we go to is gonna have an onsen." He sighed dejectedly.

"_**Jiraiya-sama**_!" The old man whipped around at his name. No one was there. "_**Down here**_!" Jiraiya jumped a little and looked down to find a little blue and black toad.

"Gamatori?"

"_**The one and only,**_" the toad said, "**I've got a message from one of your spies.**"

"Oh?" Jiraiya said in interest, "A scroll?"

"_No, I was told to give it to you verbally, as much sense as that makes, but here it is_." Gamatori looked around, making sure no one was near, "_**Apparently one of Orochimaru's bases was found recently. And from the looks of it, its one of his older ones**._"

"Can you tell me anything about it?" Jiraiya asked, his tone serious now.

"_**Yeah, it's one of his breeding camps**_," Gamatori shivered, "**_Disgusting. Breeding humans like they were cattle_**!"

"I agree," he said, "This will need to be looked into, but I have to make sure the kids are alright before that."

"_**You mean Naruto**?_" Gamatori asked, "**_Just take him._**"

"No, it's not just Naruto anymore." Jiraiya explained, "A few hours out of the village after we set out, I came across a girl and brought her along with us. Turns out she was one of Orochimaru's Sound Four. Now she's got a score to settle with the old snake."

"_**Ah, no wonder you wanna go it alone.**"_ The toad said, nodding. "**_Why not just scope it out to see if its safe first, then come back for the gakis_**?"

"Not a bad idea, but I'm a little unsure of leaving them alone."

"**_It's won't take long, just a month_.**" Gamatori said, "**_Then you can decide whether or not to take them in_**."

"You're right, and I think I've got an idea to keep them out of trouble." Jiraiya said, smiling, "And it'll help them train."

xXx

"You want us to what?!"

Jiraiya winced at the blonde's voice. "Just what I said, Naruto. For the next month, you and Tayuya-chan will be hunting down nukenin of Chunin rank."

Tayuya frowned, "Fucking dandy, but what about you, Jiji?"

"My spy network picked up some info that I need to check out." He said, "I'll pack and leave tomorrow morning."

"And we're just supposed to wait here?" Naruto asked, to which Jiraiya nodded, "That's just great, you drag me out here to train me, and now you're running off on us!"

"Naruto," he said evenly, "What I'm checking out is one of Orochimaru's hideouts."

That got both teens' attention. Naruto jumped up, "Do you think Sasuke's there?"

"What about Orochi-teme?!" Tayuya growled, "I wanna shot at that fucker!"

"Clam up and calm down you two!" Jiraiya roared, clapping them both on the shoulders and knocking them down, "Now listen up. Fact one: No, I don't know if Sasuke is there, or Orochimaru for that matter. Fact two: If either of them were, neither one of you is strong enough to take them on. Naruto, you were literally torn apart last time you faced Sasuke. and Tayuya, don't even try Orochimaru! Like me, he is a Sannin, and just as strong, if not stronger than me!"

"But - " Both whined.

"No buts!" Jiraiya growled. "You'll move to the next town and find an inn there, and keep up your training, and hunting. The purpose for the hunting of the nukenin is two fronted. On one half you'll be facing off again strong opponents and pushing yourselves to the limit. and on the other, you'll be earning money for yourselves. I'll only be gone a month, and by the time I get back, if you haven't taken down at least three ninja, then you won't be coming with me on the infiltration!"

"Hai," both droned.

Jiraiya smiled, "Oi, don't look so down. I'm not doing this because I don't have faith in your abilities, I just want you to be safe."

"Okay," Naruto relented, "But how are we going to tell if someone's a nukenin?"

"I'll leave you my Bingo Book," Jiraiya said, "That should be all you need."

_Kyuubi? _Naruto asked mentally, _what do you think about this? _

He heard the Bijuu groan as if his question had woken him from a nap. _**Such a troublesome thing to ask, Kit. You want to become stronger, ne? Then you'll need to fight stronger opponents than yourself, and surpass your own limits to do so. **_

_I guess so. _He thought, thinking back on his fight with Sasuke. _That power you gave me back then...would I be able to use it again?_ The Kyuubi's ears perked up at that. The Chakra shroud was the only thing that he would allow the blonde, given the power of the _Tori seal_ holding him there, but if he used it more...

**_That shroud could easily kill you, Kit. You may use it, but not all the time. Remember this; my Chakra, my very body was created from hatred, Kit. As were all of my brethren and my predecessor from which we all came._ **

Naruto gulped, not liking the sound of the fox's words.

**_As I said, Kit, you may use it, but only in dire emergencies. See what hatred has done to the young Uchiha, no, their entire cursed clan! Now only two remain from the ruins, and both wish for the other's demise as far as I know._**

_Then I'll agree to that. I just want to be ready if I have to fight him again, or someone that's close to his strength. _The Kyuubi grinned and nodded, neglecting to tell him that using his Chakra would weaken the seal and, eventually, release him. **_'I may not hate you as much as most humans, Kit, but that does not mean that I don't hate you at all. Use my Chakra as you will, but it will lead you to your death by my freedom!'_**

xXx

Tayuya found herself becoming nervous as the night wore on while she laid in bed with Jiraiya and Naruto snoring away on either side of her. She was unused to such noise at night, yet she found it more comforting than the screams and moans from her former home. She felt...safe. Much safer than she had back then, without the need to worry about who or what might be creeping along the corridors. Or if she would have to examined by either Orochimaru or Kabuto.

But now Jiraiya would be leaving, for one of Orochimaru's compounds, and she didn't know if he'd return.

In her thoughts the last few days had been like a little slice of heaven for her. She'd eaten more than she'd thought possible, and she'd found that she liked the people she was now with. Jiraiya was the carrying grandfather figure she'd always wanted, and Naruto made her laugh like no other. They were the first people she could almost consider friends, even Naruto, whom she'd once called an enemy.

She smiled about the day's events when Jiraiya had beaten them both up for being too loud and ignoring their training while they'd argued back and forth. She giggled. Sure the lumps had hurt, but it had been fun.

And then there was the night before when Naruto had healed her somehow. She owed him for that. It had been worse than some of the treatments she'd gotten in the past.

More than anything, with these two, she wanted to put her trust in them. Sure she'd agreed to let to old sannin train her, but that was a means to an end in her vendetta against Orochimaru, but now she truly felt like they were the real thing. What normal people would call friends.

With that in mind she drifted off to sleep.

The following morning both teens woke up to find Jiraiya gone.

xXx

"Tayuya-san, how are your legs holding up?" Naruto asked over his shoulder.

"Fucking dandy!" She snapped, "After all that fucked training we did yesterday, my legs are feel like shit!" Naruto sighed and turned his eyes back to the road in front of them. The village a small speck behind them. They'd left it earlier that morning after they found Jiraiya gone, making sure to make good time.

Tayuya didn't want to admit it, but her she wanted to rest badly. Only six hours on the road and she already wanted to stop for the day. But she didn't want to show any weakness in front of her companion.

"We could stop for lunch," Naruto suggested, "It's pretty close to noon now."

She was about to say no, but her stomach betrayed her and growled. Naruto heard and looked back at her with a foxy grin. Tayuya blushed, "The fuck are you looking at!"

"Nothing," he laughed and stepped off to the side of the road to unpack their food scrolls. Tayuya grumbled but went to join him all the same. No sense traveling on an empty stomach.

"Have you thought about what Jiji told us?" She asked.

"Bout what?" Naruto asked.

"The Bingo Book, shit for brains!" Tayuya snapped, "We can't just live off what little he left behind!"

"Oh, right!" Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I guess we could have a look."

"Ugh, you're such an air-head!" Tayuya growled, reaching for her pouch, and bringing out the book, "Look, he said Chunin level targets were fine, and we need to have at least three kills under the belt before he gets back!"

"I know that," Naruto sighed, unsealing some rations, "But I don't see how we're going to find three nukenin within a month?"

"Easy, we just find a trio that normally work together and take them out!" Tayuya smirked, "Simple as that."

"And the attack plan," he said, and tossed the girl a rice ball, "We can't just rush in head first."

"I thought that's what you were best at?" Tayuya grinned, and bit into her rice ball, "Besides, we won't be expected to be much of a threat since were so young."

"If you say so," Naruto said.

"That's more like it," she said, "Now the next village is a big one, so all sorts of people come and go through it, so we may get lucky!"

_The only reason Ero-senin told us to wait for him there is because it has an onsen. _Naruto thought, _I get the feeling this is gonna be a lot of headaches in the making. _

_**Admit it, Kit, you would do the same**_** thing.** The Kyuubi said.

_Would not. I'm a pervert, but I'm not a peeping Tom. _

"Why do you do that?" Tayuya asked, snapping him back to reality.

"Do what?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Sometimes you'll look off into space and get these weird looks on your face." She said, "Like you're talking to someone."

_Oops. _"Oh, that, I - uh -"

"Look, don't bother trying to make shit up," she said, "I won't keep buggin' you about it if you don't wanna tell me."

"Thanks," he said truthfully, then looked at the black book she was holding, "Are there any targets in there that hang out around here?"

"Yeah, actually, there's a fucking ton!" She snapped, flipping through the book, "But that's the good thing isn't it?"

"Give that thing here." Naruto said, and she handed it over. "Uh-huh, just what I thought. These guys are all S-rank nukenins."

"Huh?" Tayuya scoffed, "You're full of shit!"

"Hell if I'm lying, look here," Naruto pointed to one ninja in particular, "This guys the most dangerous one out of the bunch. Look at all the crimes he has under his name!"

Tayuya paled, "And this is one of the Chunin we're supposed to go after?"

"No, but they're probably teamed up with him since he's a Jonin-ranked ninja." Naruto said, "There's no way we could take him down."

"What if we take him by surprise?" She asked, "I mean look at the bounty on this guy's head, Shitheah-kun, if we take him down then Jiji will have to let us come along!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her, "Not gonna give up, are you?"

Tayuya grinned, "Nope."

Naruto sighed. _What did I do to deserve this? _

_**It's destiny, Kit. She's fated to be your loving mate!** _The fox cackled, making Naruto groan.

"Alright!" Naruto sighed again, "We'll give it a try," Tayuya whooped, but Naruto continued, "But if I think things are getting too dangerous, then we're out of there!"

"Fine," she growled, "Jeez, thanks for the vote of confidence, Shithead-kun."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Is it too much to say that I don't want you overdoing it?"

She blushed at that, "Don't worry about me." But then something struck her, "We need to stop in town for something first."

"What's that?"

"I need a flute." She looked down at herself, then at Naruto, "And we both need some new clothes."

_Ten hours later_

An hour away from the village, a small band of ninja sat around a campfire laughing and drinking as they celebrated the day's spoils. Above them, on a high cliff, sat two teens.

"This is the plan?" Asked a boy in an orange and black outfit and jonin-style vest. "We're really just going to barge in?"

"Shut up, Shithead-kun." Said his companion, "Look at them, they're getting drunk! Nothing's less dangerous than a drunk ninja!" The girl who stood beside him wore a vest similar to his, along with a chain mail shirt underneath a cream-colored gi, and sported a black cap and shorts.

"Yeah, but take a closer look, Tayuya-chan," Naruto said, "Our target is barely touching his drink."

"Don't worry about him," she smirked, "Once I start playing, he'll be begging for an ass fu-"

"So important to your future that you do not finish that sentence," Naruto groaned, "Seriously how did you get such a fowl mouth?"

"I blame the people fucking I grew up with," she said simply, grinning at his discomfort, "And you're starting to sound like Jirobo."

"Just start pl-"

_**Hold it, Kit, before you get started, i can sense five more presences in the trees around the camp.**_

_Guards? _

_**Most likely. Probably some screw ups that got stuck with the grunt work while the others are enjoying their spoils. **_

_Thanks for the heads-up. _

"There's that look again," Tayuya said in annoyance, "Seriously, what the fuck is up with that?"

"There's five more men in the trees all around the camp," he said, shocking her, "That's what's up with that."

"Oh, so you're a sensory type?" Naruto nodded, her statement being true in a sense. "Well, this makes things more interesting." She took out her brand new Demonic Flute. "Stand behind me while cast the Genjutsu, or you'll get caught. Naruto nodded and stepped back as Tayuya brought the flute to her lips. The melody that started to play was soft and sweet. Naruto had never been one to listen to such things, but he thought that it was most beautiful music he'd ever heard.

_Mateki, _Tayuya thought as she played, _Mugen Onsa. _

Down in the camp the leader, Seiji Miyazawa, heard something that was out of place here. _A flute_? Suddenly, all of his men started screaming and falling to the ground, clutching at their limbs. "What the fucks going on?!" Seiji roared, and then it hit him, "Genjutsu!" An then his world started to warp. He clapped his hands together before the Jutsu could take hold of him and shouted, "_Kai_!"

Back on the cliff Naruto was marveling at the effects Tayuya's playing was having on the camp. many had stopped moving and screaming completely, and Naruto could no longer sense their Chakra. _Damn, I wish I was a Genjutsu type. _He thought dejectedly.

_**Oi, Kit, look out!**_

"_Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu_!"

"Tayuya!" Naruto jumped and grabbed the girl's waist, hauling her away from the cliff just as a gigantic fire-ball exploded against it.

"What the fuck!" Tayuya yelled.

"He must have dispelled the Jutsu!" Naruto growled, "We got a fight on our hands!"

"That you do!"

"Fuck," Tayuya moaned as she saw the man standing on the sheer edge of the cliff. He was tall, and, like his Bingo Book picture, had heavy scaring on his face below his right eye. Around his forehead he wore a Kumo hitai with a slash through the Kumogakure symbol.

"Children?" Seiji said in wonder, then chuckled darkly, "Which ever one of you cast that Genjutsu has a lot of talent. All my men dyed from heart attacks within minutes of it." He looked down at Tayuya, "I suppose it was you, Gaki?"

"What of it?" She snapped.

"Well, seeing as I no longer have any men," he sneered, "I don't suppose you'd care to join my ranks?"

"Go fuck yourself!" Tayuya spat, "You're scum, just like the book says!"

"Ah, so you're both bounty hunters, eh?" Then he laughed, "A little young, but, then most of them start young. Still, it's a shame that such a cute couple is about to die."

"Who's a couple you fuckshit!" Tayuya launched herself at him, a kunai already in her hand.

"Too bad," Seiji formed the Tiger seal, "You lose."

"Duck!" She heard Naruto roar. Tayuya flattened herself to the ground, "_Fūma Shuriken_!" she felt her hair brush with the massive shuriken as it sailed over her. Seiji swore and broke off his Jutsu and ducked under the weapon as well.

"Now," Naruto shouted, and lept over Tayuya, "_Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu!_" Suddenly Tayuya saw a puff of smoke, and down came an armored toad slightly bigger than a cow, Seiji lept out of the way just as the toad crashed to the ground where he had been. "Don't let up, Gama! Grab'im!" Gama's tongue shot out of his mouth and wrapped around the man's ankle.

"Shit!" Seiji yowled as he felt himself being reeled in, and used the boar, ram, snake, horse and dragon seals, "_Raiton: Jibashi_!" Lightning started shooting from his hands, and he touched them to Gama's tongue.

"Let go!" Naruto shouted. But it was too late on Gama's part as his tongue was assaulted with thousands of volts of electricity.

"Bastard!" Tayuya roared, momentarily forgotten by Seiji, and hurled her kunai and shuriken at him. Seiji let off his Jutsu to block the them, giving Naruto a chance to dispel the summoning for poor Gama.

"You'll pay for that!" Naruto shouted, and jumped again.

"I'd like to see you try and collect!" Seiji laughed and dove right for him.

"Here's your bill!" Naruto yelled, his right hand coming up with a massive amount of Chakra in his palm, "Time to pay up! _Rasengan_!"

Seiji grinned madly, "No you don't!" Making a familiar seal, "_Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu!_" The dragon-headed fire-ball barreled toward Naruto with no chance of him escaping. Tayuya screamed as the flames engulfed him.

"Got'cha!" Seiji crowed as he laned, and turned toward Tayuya, "Now for you, bitch!"

"Not today!"

"What?!" Suddenly the ground underneath Seiji's feet erupted as Naruto sprang out of the ground with his _Rasengan_ ready. "How - "

"_Kage Bushin_, asshole!" Naruto roared, and drove his _Rasengan_ home, "This is for Gama! And for insulting my _friend_!"

The spiraling sphere of Chakra sent the nukenin twisting back into the air. Tayuya was stunned. "You... you really got him."

Naruto turned to her with a foxy grin, and said, "_We_ got him."

"Fuck! I nearly got us killed!" Tayuya spat, "You don't have to fuckin' make fun of me!"

"I'm not," Naruto said, "If you hadn't thrown those shuriken, then Gama would be dead. Even a toad can't take that much power, especially one his size."

Seiji's body finally crashed back to the ground with a sickening crunch, and he made no effort to get up again.

"Think he's dead?" Naruto asked.

"After a fall like that," Tayuya smirked, "Even Orochi-teme would be dead."

"With that freaky neck extension thing he does?" Naruto frowned.

"Good point," she said, then looked down at the camp, "How are we gonna get these guys to the bounty office?"

Naruto thought about it for a minute. "Have you got an empty storage scroll?"

Half an hour later the two were heading to the village with a scroll clutched in Naruto's hand.

Tayuya smiled, thinking that Jiraiya would be happy when he came back, which reminded her of something. "Oi, Shithead, you didn't used a _Bushin_ to use the _Rasengan_, did you?"

Naruto stopped, his eyes widening, "Hey...hey you're right!" Naruto jumped up, "I did it, dattebayo!"

Tayuya rolled her eyes at him, "Nice going, Naruto." Then bit her tongue as she realized she'd slipped, and Naruto didn't miss it.

"Oi, you said my name!" He was smiling widely. Tayuya growled and strode on ahead of him. Naruto was right behind her. "Come on, say it again!"

"It was just a slip!" She yelled, "You're still _Shithead_!"

"No, no, you called me _Naruto_, so you have to keep doing it!" Naruto said happily, "I mean, what friends call each other names like that?"

Tayuya turned and looked at him, "So we're friends?"

Naruto smiled, "Yup."

Tayuya turned away and kept walking, all the while hiding her grin, "You know, while I was watching Sasuke before he came with us, I noticed he called you Dobe a lot."

Naruto paled, "Now don't you start!"

"Aw, but I think it's kinda cute..._Dobe_!" Tayuya giggled, then ran ahead of him, "Come on, Dobe, we have some bounties to collect!"

Naruto sighed, "Why can't I keep my mouth shut?"

_**You never could.**_Kyuubi commented, _**But it's fine this way, isn't it?**_

Naruto smiled, _Yeah, Kyuubi, I guess you're right. _He chased after her, thinking that this was going to be a better trip than he'd thought.

* * *

_**Here's chapter four. I know the fight was a little short, and there wasn't much action, but hey, I'll try to improve as I go :p So once again constructive criticism is welcomed. So please review! Also, how should Tayuya find out about the Kyuubi? **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**And here I thought this paring wasn't going to be all that popular. Seems a lot are curious about how far this will go. But as you've all seen, I have my own take on the original story line, as you're about to see!**_

_**5: Truth**_

* * *

In two week's time, Jiraiya found himself staring down at a familiar sight from the trees. "All has the be underground, doesn't it, you snake?" He muttered, and walked down the trunk slowly. There didn't seem to be anyone or anything around, but that didn't mean the base was abandoned. He bit his thub on the way down, performing the _Kuchiyose no Jutsu _as he reached the ground. Two small toads appeared, normal-sized toads by any standards.

"Listen, you two, I need you to do some scouting for me." Both toads nodded, and hopped up onto his shoulder, as Jiraiya peaked around his tree, "See that? That's one of Orochimaru's hideouts, and I need to know if anyone's in there or not. Can you do that for me?"

The toads croaked, and hopped away.

"Be careful." Jiraiya hissed after them.

xXx

"Hell, yeah!" The six Tayuyas shouted, "Another one down!"

Naruto grinned at her from where he was sitting. "Come on, it's just a _Kage Bushin_."

"No it's fucking not!" The real one snapped, "It's my sixth _Kage Bushin_! My limit was four, remember? I couldn't make that many without getting dizzy!"

"Yeah, you kept falling over," he grinned, then paled as six sets of knuckles cracked.

_**You really need to learn some tact, you know, Kit?**_Naruto didn't have time to answer as he was trying to escape the wrath of six angry red-heads.

xXx

After what seemed like hours, Jiraiya's two toads cam back, dirty but unharmed. "Well, did you find anyone?"

"**_Many bones, and some_ prisoners.**" Croaked one of them.

"_**No guards that we could** **see**._" Croaked the other.

"What was the condition of the prisoners?"

The toads looked at each other and then back to Jiraiya. "_**Alive**._"

That didn't sit well with the Toad senin. "Alright, you two go to my apprentice and his companion, and reverse summon them here. I want to check this thing out now, and I have a feeling that I'll need them."

"_**Roger**_." The two toads poofed away.

xXx

After the afternoon of training, Naruto and Tayuya had collapsed in the area they were using. Tayuya's _Bushins_ had all dispelled on their own as the girl's Chakra had run dry, while Naruto was recovering from a severe beating from five temperamental girls. Not only were his ears ringing from the rain of blows, but from the howling laughter of a certain orange fox inside his head at the boy's misfortune.

_**You really need to learn how to deal with the vixens, Kit.**_The fox said, his laughter still booming throughout his mind. _**I can honestly say you're in worse shape then when the pink vixen gets through with you! **_

_Ah, shut up, you stupid fur ball. _Naruto snapped, _At least she increased her Chakra reservoir again. She's getting stronger little by little. _

_**She certainly is. I'm still amazed at how fast she's gotten the Kage Bushin no Jutsu down. She had a fairly decent reserve already. **_

_Seriously, I thought she was gonna kill me this time though. She's almost as bad as Baa-chan! _

_**Muhahahahaha! Comparing your mate to that buxom brute! Not a good idea! **_

_You keep calling her my mate, _Naruto growled, _but do you even believe that's possible with you inside me Fox? _

_**That...hurt, Kit.**_ He could feel the hurt in the fox's voice this time. _**You know I didn't choose this. **_

_Sorry, Fox. I know you didn't...come to think of it, why did you attack the village?_

**_I'll tell you later, Kit, but right now, I think your vixen is about to start-up again. Time to run again!_ **

"Oi, Shithead!" Tayuya groaned.

"Ah!" Naruto jumped up, with a little help from his ability. "No more, Tayuya-san! I give up!" But the girl didn't look like she was going to hit him again. In fact, she still looked tired as she wobbled over to him.

"I'm not gonna fucking hit you, dumbass!" Tayuya snapped, a blush rising to her face, "I just wanted your help with something!"

"Uh," he was surprised, "Like what?"

"A nap," she said, she grabbed him by the scruff of his vest, "I could use a pillow." Naruto, and even the Kyuubi, was stunned as the red-head dragged him over to a tree.

"O-oi! Wait a minute!" Naruto shouted, "Where did that come from!"

Tayuya knew how this looked, but she need a boost in her Chakra, and that's exactly what Naruto could provide, even if he didn't know it. Still, it was embarrassing, and she wished that the old man would let her tell him about his healing abilities. "Just shut up, Shithead-kun, I'm tired after all that running around!"

"Then use the backpack your bought!" Naruto whined, though he wasn't putting up much resistance.

_**Just go with it, Kit. She probably wants the warmth.** _The fox reasoned. _**It's starting to get colder.** _

"You're softer," she said, causing the blonde to blush that would have made Hinata proud. "Besides, it's getting cold out here."

Naruto sweat dropped as the fox laughed and said, _**Told you so!**_

"**_Naruto!_**" The two jumped as two toads popped out of a small puff of smoke.

"Kaichu, Ritsu?" Naruto said, identifying the toads, "What are you guys doing here?"

"**_We're to reverse summon you to Jiraiya-sama immediately,_**" the toad on the left, Ritsu, said. "_**He wishes to investigate the compound of Orochimaru that was found, but believes he will need your**_**_ help_.**"

_"_Is Jiji alright?" Tayuya asked worriedly. "Why didn't he come back for us?"

_**"It would have likely been too late for the survivors. Now please, Naruto-sama, Tayuya-sama, time is of the essence!"** _

_**Better go with them, Kit, this sounds** **serious!** _

"Alright, then, let's go!" Naruto said, "Let's kick that snake's ass!" Bang. "Ouch! What the hell, Tayuya!" He glared at the girl, nursing her reddening fist.

"As much as I'd fucking love to feed that snake his balls for breakfast," Naruto cringed, covering that particular part of his anatomy, "How the fuck does a reverse summon even work?"

Naruto smiled, "Kaichu, Ritsu?"

_**"Right away!"** _The toads quickly hopped on both Tayuya, and Naruto's shoulders.

Tayuya looked worried, "I get the feeling I'm gonna - " Poof

xXx

"- fucking puke!"

Jiraiya jumped, startled by the outburst as Tayuya and Naruto appeared beside him, with Tayuya hunched over. Naruto, however, was laughing his ass off. He shook his head and bopped him on the head to silence him.

"That's enough of that," Jiraiya said, then looked over at the girl, "Tayuya-chan, you okay?"

"Ugh," she groaned, "I don't ever wanna fucking do that again!"

_**"My most sincere apologies, Tayuya-sama."** _Kaichu said, bowing to her from her shoulder.

**_"We didn't know it would cause motion sickness."_ **Ritsu said, humbly.

"It didn't happen to me," Naruto said.

"Wooptee fucking doo," Tayuya snapped, getting to her feet, "Now where's that sorry SOB that left me under a tree?"

"He's not here," Jiraiya said.

Tayuya growled, "Then why are we?"

The toad sage groaned, "Tayuya, I told you I didn't know whether or not he'd be here, but come on! There's still people down there and I need your help. Both of you!"

"Great!" Naruto yelled happily, "Oh yeah! We got our three Chunin, and a Jonin!"

Jiraiya grinned, "Good work! Now let's see how you handle what could be down there."

Tayuya peaked around the tree at the base, "I know this place."

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Really?" Jiraiya said, looking down at the girl, "I take it they weren't pleasant times?"

Tayuya bit her lip, "No, they weren't."

Jiraiya nodded, "You can stay here if you don't want to go in?"

"No, I'll be fine," she lied, then took out her new flute, "Let's get in there." She strode toward the entrance with a purpose in her step.

Naruto was about to follow her when the Kyuubi spoke to him.

_**Kit.** _

_Yeah? _

_**Don't let her go in there yet. There's something in there that doesn't feel human. **_

_A demon? _"Hold it Tayuya-san." Naruto called after her, stopping the girl in her tracks. She looked back at him in question. He shook his head in the direction of the compound. Over the past few weeks she'd come to know that meant danger. She walked back to him and the old man.

"Sense something?" She asked, confusing the toad sage.

"What's she talking about?"

Naruto placed his hand over his stomach and pretended to scratch it, "I'm a sensory type," Jiraiya caught the gesture and nodded, "I can feel something down there, but it doesn't feel human." Now that he'd spoken with the fox, and gotten a feel for the place himself, he did feel something like the fox's demonic Chakra, but not quite as powerful.

"Is it a curse mark?" Jiraiya asked, "And can you see if there's more than one?"

**_Kneel to the ground and place your hand on the soil._**The fox instructed, **_You'll get a better feel for what you're looking for. And feel for more than one Chakra signature. I can't always be the one to warn you, dattebayo_.**

Naruto grinned in his mind at the fox for mocking him, and did as instructed, letting his Chakra flow into the ground. As it expanded out beneath them, a cold feeling swept over him that had his tenant growling with blood lust.

_**Kit, this is worse than I thought. **_

_What IS that? I've never felt so cold before. Not even in the Land of Snow! _

_**That, Kit, is true demon Chakra. Unlike myself, and summon spirits, true demon Chakra is what happens if a human fails to enter a sage form, and lives. Normally, if no one's there to help, a human will die or petrify if the Nature Chakra takes over their system.**_

_You're losing me by the minute! Speak my language! _

_**By the tails of the Jyubi!**_The fox roared, **_Look, remember what Sasuke's Ckakra looked like? That black mass of hatred? _**

_Yeah? Are you saying that's what a sage form is? _

_**Not quite. Normally sages like Jiraiya take years to practice gathering Nature Chakra from the environment from the spirits they have a contract with, like the toads. What Sasuke went through is more like a failed sage form, but still being alive after the change in form. It's not a demonic Chakra, but it's dangerously close. **_

_So, what's down there, Kyuubi?_

_**Something I hope we do not meet. But if we do, you're the only one that could stop it, and that's using my power. The power of a Biju is far greater than that of a demon like this poor wretch.**_

"Naruto?" Jiraiya said, shaking his shoulder. Naruto blinked and came out of his stupor. "Find anything?"

Naruto looked up, focusing his eyes. Both Tayuya and Jiraiya were looking down at him with concern. "We might have a problem."

After explaining what he'd found out discreetly, the three of them now looked at the compound like a den of vipers.

Jiraiya sighed, "I knew he was doing research on Natural Chakra, but I didn't think he'd go this far."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, but it's the only signature like that I could feel. The humans Kaichu and Ritsu found must not have the curse mark on them yet."

Tayuya shivered, reaching up to touch her shouler where her own mark had been once. "Fuck me, this is wrong. I relied on that thing for so long, but if that's what it was doing to me..." She felt a hand placed on her shoulder, covering her own. She looked up and Naruto, who was grinning at her.

"You didn't choose it, right?" Tayuya shook her head. "Then there's nothing to worry about anymore. Just that we need to stop that Orochi-teme once and for all!"

Jiraiya grinned at him as he comforted the girl. "That's right, and as much as it worries me, we need to go down there and get the survivors out. We'll just have to try and avoid that thing, whatever it is, until we can bring the whole place down on its ears."

"If it has any," quipped Tayuya.

"That's my girl," Jiraiya grinned, patting her shoulder, earning a blush from her, "Now, lets get down there, and get the hell out of here!"

xXx

Upon entering the compound Naruto immediately felt his stomach lurch. The scent of death was strong here, so strong that he could barely keep down his breakfast.

_This is horrible! _

_**Easy, Kit, it'll pass in a moment or two. **_

_That's easy for you to say, Kyuubi, but dammit this is thick! _

_**I agree. Even for a demon's lair or someone like Orochimaru, this place reeks of cruelty, blood and death. **_

Naruto groaned and pressed on, keeping himself in the lead because of his sensing abilities. Tayuya was kept in the middle of them for safety, while Jiraiya brought up the rear.

"So, can you lead us to the prisoners?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto groaned, "No directly, all I know is they're still farther ahead of us."

"And that thing you sensed?" Tayuya asked, "What about that?"

He shivered, "It's right below them." He turned to Jiraiya, "Look, Ero-sennin, I may have to go overboard if that thing comes after us."

Jiraiya nodded, "I understand, just don't strain yourself."

Tayuya looked back and forth between the two, but shrugged it off. She knew the blonde was holding something back. _Probably something to do with his bloodline trait, _she thought, and let it go as they continued. "I think I can help in finding them." She said, catching their attention, "The old snake usually kept a records room near the entrances, and this one is no different. It's just up ahead."

"Does that include a map of the compound?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hell yeah," she smiled, "We'd be able to find them in no time, Jiji!"

Naruto grinned, "Then lead on, Tayuya-chan!"

A vein popped up on her head, "What was that, Shithead?"

Naruto gulped, "I-I-I mean, please lead the way, Tayuya-sama!" Tayuya grinned and strode past him with a little extra sway in her hips that Naruto, sadly, didn't notice, and of course, Jiraiya did.

_I have really gotta teach this gaki about women. _He sighed, following afte the two children.

Tayuya lead them flawlessly to the records room, a dusty room that hadn't been used in what looked like years to them. Dust and decay covered most of the scrolls and tombs that lined the walls. The map they were searching for was pinned to a wall close to the door. Naruto took interest in a scroll that was lying loose on the shelf, barely hanging over the edge.

When he pulled the scroll from the shelf, an avalanche of dust that had been the other scrolls fell onto him. Naruto hacked, cough and sneezed, much to Tayuya's amusement. But Jiraiya noticed the scroll that had attracted his attention.

"Naruto, what's that scroll you have there?"

Naruto held the scroll out to him, "I don't know, but it's the only one that wasn't rotten." He handed the scroll over for him to inspect. Jiraiya blew a bit of dust off, and found an oddly familiar symbol.

"Well, this is an Uzumaki sealing scroll!" Naruto's eyes widened. _Did he say Uzumaki? _Jiraiya saw the look of wonder and disbelief on the blonde's face and smiled, "Yeah, Gaki, this is your scroll by birth right." He handed the scroll back to the stunned boy, "The Uzumaki clan was known for their Fuinjutsu, and had close ties to the Senju clan when Konohagakure was founded."

Tayuya smirked, "Looks like you ain't such a dobe after all." But the smirked died on her lips as soon as she saw her friend's face. He was gripping the scroll like a lifline, and he was biting his lip, fighting back tears. "Um, Naruto?"

The tears spilled over, "I-I had a family..."

"Focus, Naruto," Jiraiya said, "We can talk about it later. Right now we need to find those prisoners and get them out of here."

"R-r-right!" He stuffed the scroll into his vest pocket, "Let's go."

Tayuya, in a rare display, went and bumped her shoulder against his, "You gonna be okay, Shithead-kun?"

Naruto gave his usual foxy grin. "Yeah, it's just a little much to take in."

"Well, let's go." She said, "This place is giving me a bad stream of memories."

The three moved out of the records room, and followed Tayuya who carried the map. The red-head kept up a steady pace, not willing to take her time, and soon they came to circular room with a -

"This is the operating room," Tayuya growled, looking at the rectangle-shaped table in the center of the room. Her whole body began to shake with fear and rage as she remembered her time on that very table. "The cells," she said, "should be just up ahead."

Now it was Naruto's turn to be worried for his friend. But he knew what to do for it. "Oi, Ero-sennin, let's blow this place to hell when we're done, okay?"

Jiraiya smiled, "You bet, I've got enough exploding seals for the job." Tayuya looked back at them, a small smile playing across her face.

"Thanks, guys." Tayuya sighed.

"W-who's there?"

All three whipped around. "Hello?" Jiraiya called out, "We're friends!"

"We've come to get you out." Naruto shouted.

For a long minute or two there was nothing. No sounds. Then the sounds of chains, and shuffling could be heard. Naruto's ears perked up, "Over there!" He darted toward a corridor on the left.

"Hold on!" Jiraiya yelled, hurrying after him with Tayuya close behind him. Naruto ran along the hall following his instincts to the sound. His sensory abilities leading him faster with each step.

_**On your left, Kit!**_Naruto slid on the balls of his feet and made a hard left. "Where are you!" Naruto yelled.

"Here!" An arm seemed to shoot out of the wall in front of him."Help us!"

"Jiraiya! Tayuya! I found them!" Naruto yelled, sliding on the bottom of his sandles, and stopping in front of a cell.

"Oh, thank Kami," it was a woman, poor and malnourished, with shocking red hair. Her smile lit up her gaunt face like a blazing ray of sun. "Please, you must get us out of here!"

"Us?" Naruto looked behind her, seeing more then fifteen people inside the cell, all with the same red hair. "Okay, let's get you out of here!" He held up his hand and started forming his _Rasengan_, "Stand back!"

"Wait," said a man's voice, "Who are you?"

"_Rasengan_!" He brought the Jutsu down on the lock and door. The metal warped and shattered, nearly blowing the door off its hinges. Smiling at his work he stepped into the cell, "Naruto Uzumaki, at your service."

"Uzumaki?" The woman said, "B-but your hair is blonde. Our clan has red hair!"

Naruto's eyes widened, "What did you say?" Just then Jiraiya and Tayuya arrived. "Are you telling me that you're all part of the Uzumaki clan?"

"What was that?!" Jiraiya yelled, "That's not possible! The Uzumaki clan was wiped out when the third war started!"

The man that had spoken stepped forward, "That is true," he smiled sadly, "But some of our clansmen escaped the destruction. We fled into the mountains. We spent years there with so few of us to continue the clan, but we managed...and then Orochimaru came." Naruto took a good look at him. He was around thirty or so, and had scars all over his torso.

"We of the Uzumaki have always attracted attention, wanted or not." He said, "Many clans wanted to take our sons and daughters for marriage. Others wanted to destroy us. Ultimately, our gifts with our Chakra are what led to our destruction."

"Gifts?" Naruto asked.

The woman stepped forward this time, "Our Chakra was special. Like a multifaceted Kekkei Genkai it had multiple uses. From healing," she looked down at Naruto, "To sealing. Which is what attracted Orochimaru."

"Are you talking about the _Chakra Chains_?" Jiraiya asked.

"What are those?" Naruto asked.

"It is a form of _Fuinjutsu_," the woman said, "and yes, that is why he came for us. But it was a rare ability, even among our clan. Only Kushina-san was able to use it, and she died in the Leaf against the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Naruto grew excited at the news, "Does that mean there were other Uzumaki in the Leaf village?!"

She shook her head, "No, Kushina-sama was the only one."

Naruto looked down slightly, and Tayuya noticed that Jiraiya was growing uncomfortable. _He's hiding something from him! _Then she grinned, "What's got you so down, Shithead? If she was the _only_ Uzumaki in the village, that means that she was your mother, right?"

Naruto's head snapped up, "Hey that's right!"

The man smiled, "That would explain a few things."

"Wait," Jiraiya said, looking down at the blonde, "Naruto, you need to know something..."

Naruto smiled at him, his cerulean eyes whirling sadly, "You knew them, didn't you?" To which Jiraiya nodded. "It's okay, I know it was probably a good reason for keeping it from me."

"A very good reason," he said, "but not because of your mother, it was your father that would have caused the trouble."

**_Tell him to stop beating around the bush already!_ **The fox roared, **_I knew that woman! She was my previous container! What the hell happened to her!_ **

He saw the boy wince, and figured that the fox was giving him an ear full. "Look, Gaki, there's a lot that we need to go over...I think you need to sit down."

xXx

Deep withing the bowels of the compound something stirred, a fresh, enticing scent reaching its senses. A massive forked tongue flicked out of a black scale-lined mouth. This wasn't the scent of its charges which its master had asked him to watch over, no this was fresh meat! With a shuddering breath, the beast rose up on its coils and spread a massive hood out from its head.

"**_Time to eat!_**"

xXx

Naruto and Tayuya sat in stunned silence as Jiraiya finished his tale. The remaining Uzumaki had all listened with interest as the boy found out about his lineage.

"So," the blonde said uneasily, "that's who I am."

"Yes," Jiraiya said, hanging his head in shame, "I'll understand if you wish to call our trip quits. If I were in your shoes right now, I wouldn't want anything to do with me either."

Naruto looked up at him, "How could I do that? You're my Oji-chan, after all." Jiraiya smiled at him and reached out to pull the boy into a hug. Tayuya watched on, looking slightly jealous. Naruto noticed this, and pulled her into their embrace, "Don't think I'd leave you out, Nee-san." She couldn't hide the blush that rose to her face when he said that, but returned the hug all the same.

Jiraiya chuckled, "This is some family we have, ne? An old pervert, a blonde loudmouth, and a little habanero." He smiled at both of them, "I wouldn't have any other way."

"Ehm," the woman, Shizuku, coughed, "I'm sorry to break this up, but there are others in need of releasing."

"Right, sorry," Jiraiya grinned, standing up, "Where and who are they?"

"Many are Uzumaki children," the man, Akira as he'd called himself, said, "But there is one other further in. Orochimaru has had him locked away for some time."

"Yes, he was brought in as a boy around three," Shizuku said, "I believe he might be an Uchiha, given how much time Orochimaru put into him."

"An Uchiha?" Tayuya frowned, "Then why did he want Sasuke?"

"Saiga's eyes never activated his family's Kekkei Genkai," Akira said, "So he was of no use to Orochimaru, and was locked away after trying to escape. He get's less food then we do from our jailer."

Jiraiya turned to him, "Could you tell us about your jailer? When we came here, Naruto sensed something below you. But he said it wasn't human."

Akira nodded, "That would be Yamato no Orochi, as he is so called." He shook his head sadly, "He was once one of out clan members, but once Orochimaru got through with him and cast the curse mark on him, nothing of his humanity was left. All he does now is feed us when it is time, and then goes back down to his own cell to wait."

Jiraiya stroked his chin in thought, "So, it really is a demon beast?" He looked back to the people in the cell, "What does he look like? What has he become?"

"As his name states, he is a giant snake, now." Skizuku said, "He is as cold and heartless as the one that made him this way."

"Can he e killed?" Jiraiya asked, "I can't very well let a creature like that roam free."

Akira nodded, "He is as vulnerable as any other. Cold and heat seem to affect him the most, though. The colder it is for him, the slower he becomes, but the warmer his body is, then the fast he can move."

"I see," the old sage reached into his robes, "Alright, Naruto, Tayuya, go gather up all the children and bring them here. We're going to seal them into a scroll and send them to Tsunade!"

"What?!" The shout came from all of them, and echoed off the walls all throughout the compound.

"Quiet! We don't want that snake beast coming for us!" Jiraiya yelled, "I know it's a little strange, but I've had to do this before, and no harm has ever come to anyone."

"And the little ones?" Shizuku asked.

"Will be sealed with you." He said, producing a scroll, and infusing it with Chakra so it would enlarge, "But I will not be leaving you all here to rot. Naruto, you two hurry up and get the children!"

"Right!" Forming his favortie hand seal, "_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Five more Narutos popped into existance.

"Wait for me!" Tayuya yelled, then performed the same seal, leading to four _Bushins_. Jiraiya smiled, impressed by her progress.

"Those are special ones you have there," Akira said, "And what's more," he chuckled, "They make a nice pair."

"They do, don't they?" Jiraiya smirked, "She's got the same temper Kushina did when she was that age."

xXx

"Ack, get the hell off me you damned brat!" Tayuya yowled, "I'm not a horse!" Naruto had to bite back a laugh as Tayuya turned out to be popular with children when two or three start clinging to her.

"Nee-chan, I want my ka-san!" Whined a little boy.

"We're taking you to them now," Naruto assured them all, "Then you'll be taken you a new home, with nice people to help you."

"No more bad stuff?" A little girl that had taken a liking to him asked.

Naruto nodded, "Hai, no more bad stuff."

"Oi, what's going on out there?" A boy's voice yelled, "Orochimaru, is that you?"

"Nope," Naruto yelled, "this is Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Another Uzukaki? Great! More racket!"

Tayuya growled, "Hey, shut the fuck up!" Many of the children giggled at her, but were soon shooed away by her and Naruto's _Bushins_. "We're here to rescue you!"

"Yeah, right!" The boy yelled, "I'll believe that when Fangface stops being a pedo!"

"It's true!" Naruto yelled back, going up to the bars of the cell, "Are you Saiga Uchiha?"

"Yeah," he said, "what of it?"

Naruto quickly formed another _Rasegan_ and blasted the door off its hinges, "We're here to take you home to Konohogakure!"

xXx

Five minutes after they'd left, Naruto and Tayuya returned with at least ten children and their Bushins. Jiraiya smiled as the parents of the children scooped them up in their arms in joy. The little girl that had clung to Naruto was taken by Shizuku, who kissed her face all over. Naruto smiled at that, then dispelled the Jutsu as the original came in with Tayuya carrying a weak and malnourished teenager a little older than themselves.

"Siaga!" Akira cried, "Thank goodness!"

"Ohayou," he raised his hand in greeting.

"Is that everyone?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto and Tayuya nodded.

"Alright!" He tossed out the scroll, rolling it open, "Everyone step into the scroll, please and we'll get you out of here in no time!"

Saiga looked at the man like he was crazy, but watched as the Uzumakis stepped into the sealing matrix. Jiraiya made a few hands signs and activated the scroll. Soon all of them were inside the scroll, with the exception of Saiga.

"You're next, Gaki," Jiraiya said, motioning for the Uchiha to step up. He grumbled but stepped onto the scroll as well and he too was drawn in when the old sennin activated the scroll.

"Okay, that's that!" Jiraiya said, then bit down on his thumb, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" Gama appeared out of the smoke with his usual silent salute to Jiraiya. "Good to see you, too, friend." Jiraiya showed him the scroll, "I need you to get this to the Hokage as soo as possible, and have her open it immediately. It contains members of the Uzumaki clan, and one Uchiha clan member."

Gama's large eyes widened, but wrapped his tongue around the scroll and poofed away immediately.

"Now," Jiraiya grinned, "Let's blow this place to hell!"

"**_I think not!_**" Naruto jumped back at the roar as the floor beneath them erupted as a large black body shot out of the ground. Tayuya flashed to his side and pulled him out of harm's way as the mass of scales crashed down where he'd landed just a moment earlier.

"Shit!" Jiraiya growled, "That's got to be Yamato no Orochi!"

"**_None other,_ _intruder_!**" The massive snake hissed. "_**Now you shall feel my hunger!**" _The head of the demon snapped around, it maw open, and spat a green spray at the old toad sennin.

He ducked down as the spray hit the wall with a hiss. "Not today, monster!" Jiraiya yelled, then clapped his hands together, "_Hari Jigoku_!" His long mane of hair spiked and hardened like spines, then shot out, embedding themselves into the snake's scales.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya yelled, "Use it!" Naruto looked back at the old man, then at Tayuya, who now knew many things about him, except this. She looked right back at him. Then took out her flute.

"Whatever it is you have to fucking do, then do it." She said, "Just fucking do it! I don't know how my _Genjutsu_ will work on him, and I don't have my curse mark anymore, so all I have is my Doki summoning!"

Naruto nodded, biting him lip, "Okay, just don't hate me." _You ready, Kyuubi? _

"Hate you?" Tayuya spat, "What the hell are you talking about?"

**_Always, Kit. Let's go!_ **As if in answer to Tayuya's question, a burning red Chakra cloak wrapped itself around Naruto. The blonde grunted in pain and bent down on all fours as a tail and ears sprouted from the cloak, giving him the appearance of his tenant. _**You may have to use more than this, but let's test this bastard out!**_

_Right! _Naruto shot forward in a burst of speed and slammed into the snake, digging his now razor sharp claws into the beast's scales. Orochi screamed in pain and rage as the blonde Jinchuriki began to tear into him, then spun his body in whirling motion in an attempt to dislodge him. Jiraiya took the chance to rush over to the stunned Tayuya and rush out of the cell and back down the hall to escape the battle.

"W-wait!" Tayuya yelled, snapping out of it, "What about Naruto?!"

"We won't beable to help him in close quarters like that!" Jiraiya said, "We need to find some place open to lure that thing!"

"The operating room!" Tayuya snapped, "That's as open as it gets!"

Jiraiya nodded and sped back the way they'd came, only to find Naruto galloping at full speed toward the same location. Orochi was right behind him, snapping at the Chakra tail in rage.

"What the hell is that?" Tayuya asked, "That Chakra?"

"That, my dear," Jiraiya said, "Is his greates secret. He is the Nine Tails Jinchuriki."

"You mean - ?" She looked down the way he'd gone and heard the terrile sounds of both of them fighting. "Oh Kami, how could he be a demon?"

"He's not," the old sennin said, "He's merely the container. There's nothing different about him from any other twelve-year-old boy. But because of the devastation the fox caused he was branded with the demon's sins."

The sounds of the fighting grew louder and more fierce. Tayuya ground her teeth together and squirmed out of his arms. "I don't give a fuck at this point! He need's help!" She bit down on her thumb, and slammed her hand to the ground. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" A huge puff of smoke appeared, along with three large, ugly ogres.

Jiraiya cringed at the sight of their weapons. Cubs, spears and axes adorned their backs. Tayuya grinned, "Well, you have let me sign the Toad Contract yet." She took out her flute and started playing a fast, erratic tune that had the three ogres turning around and running in the direction of the fight.

As Tayuya ran after them, Jiraiya grinned and sighed, "I really need to get her that contract."

xXx

**_Kit, take it easy! You're using too much Chakra! _**

_I don't care! This thing goes down with or without me!_ Naruto growled, and lunged at the monster again, letting his now two-tailed cloaked claws slam into he soft belly of the snake. The Kyuubi was growing more worried with each passing second. The one-tailed cloak the boy could handle, but at the two-tailed cloak, he could feel the boy's seal weakening.

_**Kit, I'm warning you, this is happening too fast! If you keep bring the level up too fast, the seal will break! You'll kill us both!**_

Naruto was through listening at the moment. Orochi brought his enormous tail around and smashed him to the ground. The breath left his lungs as he coughed and gasped for air, and tried to get out from under the snake.

"_**Is this really all you've got, little Kitsune?**_" Orochi hissed mockingly, and pressed down on him with his full weight, "**_Such a shame. I haven't had to fight for my food in such a long time. You've barely made me work for my meal!_**"

"Fuck you!" Naruto snarled.

"Damn right!" His head whipped around just as three hulking figures rammed into the snake's body, pushing the coils off him. "C'mon, you dumbass! Move those tails!"

"Thanks, Tayuya!" He yelled, then jumped for the snakes head, "You're mine!"

"_**Hah!**_" Orochi spray him with his acid. Naruto's cloak protected him, but his clothes still took some of the acid. Still Naruto jumped right on to the demon's head, and clawed at him savagely.

_**Kit, hurry up! You're about to hit three tails!** _

_I'm working on it! He's tough! _

_**Use the Rasengan, Baka!**_

The feral blonde growled and raised his hand as the Chakra ball formed, turning purple from the Kyuubi's Chakra. "Eat this! _Kyuubi Rasengan_!" The ball spiraled into the snake monster's head, sending him ramming into the ground.

Tayuya played her flute and ordered her Doki to attack, the three demons drawing their weapons and charging the demon. Orochi saw them coming and swiped his tail around, smashing them into the wall. Naruto lept off the head, awed by how the beast could take such damage. Then a sharp pain racked through his body. _Shit, _he thought, _it must be the third tail! _

**_You're right, Kit, and if this keeps up, the fourth tail will sprout and you'll lose all control! End this now! _**

_You're not helping! It's not like I can...Wait, what about Bijudama? _

_**Not in that form, Kit! It would kill you for sure! **_

_Then what do you suggest?! _

_**How else do you kill a snake but by cutting off the head!**_

"Tayuya, the head, aim for the head!" Naruto roared, "The spot I launched the Rasengan!"

"Right!" Her Doki had dispelled after they'd been hit by the tail, but she still had some exploding seals. She lept up and and ran along the wall and up. She flipped off the wall just as Orochi raised his head up to pursue the blonde Jinchuriki, and landed just above his hood.

"_**What's this!? Get off of me you slut!**_"

Tayuya growled as she slapped a seal on the weak spot Naruto's _Rasengan_ had made, "Up yours, shit for brains!" She lept away shouting, "Kai!" The explosion the erupted from the seal sent the girl spinning through the air helplessly, while the giant snake roared in agony.

"I got'cha!" Naruto came flying toward her and snatched her out of the air and landed quickly, setting her back on her feet before the Chakra cloak could burn her. "Nice one."

"Thanks, Foxy!" Tayuya smirked.

"Tch, better than 'Shithead-kun' I guess." Naruto growled.

"Gangway, Gakis!" Both turned in time to see Jiraiya running toward the the thrashing snake with two of his blazing _Rasengan_ ready. "Heat may make this thing fast, but let's see how much it can take! _Katon: Goen Rasengan!_"

As the two burning spheres touched the snakes scales, flames erupted from the impact point and spread up the around the beast's body, melting flesh and bone alike.

"**_Gah you wretched ningen! My master will avenge me! You're whole village will_ _burn_!**" Jiraiya jumped back as Orochi tried to snap at him with his fangs, only to ignite the acid in his mouth when his head passed to close to the flames.

Naruto came down from his Nine-tails cloak, nearly collapsing from the strain, "We need to get out of here!"

"Go," Jiraiya yelled, "I already set the seals up with _Kage Bushins_!"

"Let's get the fuck outta here, then!" Tayuya grabbed Naruto's arm and slung it ovr her shoulders, "Come on, Shithead!"

Naruto grinned as they started running, "What happened to Foxy?"

"Shut it and run!"

xXx

_Konohagakure no Sato... _

To say that the Hokage and the council were surprised by the new arrivals would be an understatement. When Gama arrived with the scroll, she had assumed that it was information on the Akatsuki, or perhaps a progress report on Naruto's training.

If only it were that simple.

No, what she got were two clans thought to be extinct, and the news, via Shizuku Uzumaki, that Naruto now knew of his parentage. Plus the added bonus of finding one of Orochimaru's Otonins alive, and the potential destruction of one of the snake Sannin's bases.

Which was now what she had to deal with as twenty Uzumaki clan members, and one Uchiha now stood before the civilian and shinobi councils to decide their fates.

"You all know why I called this emergency meeting, correct?" Tsunade asked, eyeing each of the civilians, then moving on to the shinobi, reciecving a nod from each in turn, or yawn in the case of the Nara clan. Each member of the newly arrived clans was seated in front of the slug sennin nervously, some clutching children. The true surprise was the Uchiha. young Saiga appeared to be in the poorest of health aside from the others, considering his lineage, but he carried himself with some of the arrogance his clan was known for.

"We have been called," the old warhawk, Danzo Shimura, said, eyeing some of the newcomers, "to determine whether these people are fit for village life among Konoha citizens."

"That is incorrect, Danzo-dono," Tsunade growled, stressing the honorific of his name with distaste, earning a slight glare from the civilian council members, "We are here to discuss the potential that these few Uzumaki, and the one Uchiha, can do for this village should the Shinobi Council vote in their favor."

Hiashi Hyuga took an interest in the red-haired clan almost immediately, "I find this to be acceptable." This caused everyone in the room to turn to him for an explanation. "If I remember correctly, the Uzumaki were masters of _Fuinjutsu_, and many were born _Kenjutsu_ masters. In terms of military strength, I will go ahead and cast my vote in restoring their clan when you call for it. This is where I stand."

Tsunade was slightly taken aback by the normally stoic Hyuga clan head. "That is very forward of you, Hyuga-dono. Will the council please take note of the Hyuga clans vote?"

"Noted," Koharu, and Homura said in unison.

"It is indeed rare that you take an interest in new clans like this, Hyuga-sama." Koharu said, "Would you care to explain?"

"If it would please the council?" Hiashi said, nodding toward Tsunade.

"Please, proceed," she said, "I value your wisdom."

"As you wish," he said, nodding once more, "As you all know, it was an Uzumaki _Fuinjutsu _that sealed away the Kyuubi." This earned a few frowns all around the room. "And since the destruction of Uzushiogakure, it has been a sad thing that those particular seals have been lost with its people."

Danzo nodded, "That is true, Hyuga-sama, but what proof do we have that these poor people have these Jutsu?"

Akira stood from his seat, "Permission to address the council, Hokage-sama?"

"Granted, Akira-san." She nodded.

"Thank you," he turned and looked around the room, finally facing Danzo, "We were hated, loved, and feared for the Jutsu you think we do not have, Shimura-sama, and now I assure you that we do possess it. It was for these very seals that Orochimaru attacked and imprisoned my people. Thank, and for our abilities with our Chakra."

"So you do have knowledge of these seals?" Hyuga asked in what anyone would call delight if they knew the man well enough.

"We do," Akira said, smiling at the man, "And I would like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to the entirety of the Hyuga clan for their support." he bowed to him low at the waist. "We also have some among us that possess healing abilities with our Chakra, but unfortunately, the Chakra Chains that Orochimaru and many others coveted, has died with Kushina-sama, and they do not live on in her son."

"Son?" One of the civilian council members asked in shock. "I knew this woman, and I had no idea she even had a son!"

Tsunade brace herself for the shit storm that was about to hit as Akira continued.

"She does," he said, "Though he is only half Uzumaki, he has her face, and his father's eyes and hair."

"Who do you speak of?" A woman asked.

"I speak of Naruto Namikaze, who helped us to escape."

As expected, there was nothing but quiet...for about two seconds, and then the council room erupted in shouts of anger and outrage at the "demon brat's" name. Even Saiga looked stunned by all of this, not knowing why the boy seemed so hated.

Tsunade let them have a moment, then rose from her chair and slammed her fist down onto her desk, breaking the unfortunate piece of furniture in half. "I demand that there be order right this minute!"

As soon as it broke out, the room grew quiet once again. Tsunade smirked and kicked the desk aside. "Now, the next person to refer to Naruto as the 'demon brat', or any other form of insult will have a date with Ibiki Morino!" She strode down into the center of the room, "Now, cast your votes, Shinobi council, shall the Uzumaki join our ranks as members of Konohagakure?"

Inoichi Yamanaka was the first to stand, "The Yamanaka clan will side for the restoration of the Uzumaki clan."

Shikaku Nara stood next, "I will stand with them."

"So will I," Chouza Akimichi said.

"I see no harm in it," Tsume Inuzuka said.

"It is the logical choice to allow them to continue," said Shibi Aburame

"I will side with the restoration," Asuma Sarutobi said.

Tsunade smiled, "As Hyuga-sama has already cast his vote, the poll is unanimous." She turned to Akira, "Akira Uzumaki, you and your clan are now part of the shinobi clans of Konoha."

"My thanks to you all," Akira bowed, then sat back down.

"Now on to the young Uchiha," she said, turning to Saiga, "It is my understanding that you've been under Orochimaru for some time, is that true?"

"It is, unfortunately." He said, "He kept me in hopes of me developing the Sharingan, but they nerver did, so he locked me up."

"We any experiments carried out?" She asked.

"Many, from blood to bone work." Saiga shivered, "I hope I never have to see that man again."

"You won't have to." She smile, "Do you wish to establish your clan once more?"

"What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" Saiga asked, "I thought my clan was already here in the village."

Hiashi spoke up, "Though it is regrettable, the Uchiha were wiped out by one of their own six years ago. And the last two surviving members, aside from yourself, have gone AWOL from the village."

Saiga looked devastated, "All of them?"

All the council nodded to the boy's question. Saigo hung his head sadly, "And here I was hoping to see my mother again." He looked back up at Tsunade, "I wish to re-establish my clan, Kekei Genkai, or not."

"Votes?" Tsunade looked all around the room.

No one voted against him.

"Well, it would seem that the village has a few new clans," she said happily, "Which brings us to the issue of the Namikaze clan."

"To speak of that demon as part of the fourth's clan is blasphemous to his memory," one of the civilians said, the same man as before, "To say that he is the fourth's son is heresy!"

Tsunade strode over to the man, glowering down at him, "You are here as a witness, and witness only, Bunzo-san. Any and all matters concerning a shinobi is my business and the business of the shinobi council!"

"And," Hiashi put in, "There is proof that Naruto is indeed a Namikaze by blood and by birth. Hiruzen kept the marriage a secret so that his enemies would try to abduct his wife, or her unborn child later on. My wife and Kushina were dear friends, and she knew of their marriage, and their impending parenthood."

Danzo stood, "May I suggest to the shinobi council that Naruto be named head of the Namikaze clan upon his return to the village?"

"Seconded," Hiashi said happily.

"I vote yes," Shikaku said in a bored tone, "My son speaks highly of him."

"So does mine," Chouza said, "And I knew about their marriage as well. I see no reason that he should not have his heritage."

The rest of the shinobi council all voted for the reinstatement of the Namikaze. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Danzo, wondering why he'd suggested such a thing when he was a civilian shinobi on the civilian council.

"The vote is cast," she sighed, but not unhappy with the turn of events, "Upon his return, Naruto Namikaze will be named head of his clan."

"Splendid," Danzo said, "Then I suggest that the Clan Restoration Act be set in motion for the Uchiha, and Namikaze clans immediately."

xXx

"Hua~Choo!"

_**Catching a cold, Kit?** _Kyuubi asked in concern, _**You may have been weakened after that fight today. **_

_Nah, I think someone's just talking about me._ Naruto sniffed, rubbing his nose. _Some day, huh? _

**_It certainly was. You nearly had me worried with the use of the cloak._ **Kyuubi chuckled, **_You almost went over the limit._ **

_Didn't have much of a choice. But we got the job done at least. No harm done! _

The Kyuubi sighed, **_Kit, we need to talk about that._**

_Oh? What's wrong? _

_**Nothing, yet, Kit, and that's what I wnat to tell you about. If you keep using my power the way you are, even in small amounts, you will kill yourself, and I will be released.**_Naruto was a little stunned hearing this.

_Why are you telling me this? Wouldn't it make more sense for you to keep that to yourself? _

Again the fox sighed, this time in shame, **_I know it doesn't make sense, but the only explanation I can give is... well, I've grown fond of you, Kit. _**

_Come again?! _Naruto sat up in his sleeping back, _You once threatened to rip me to shreds, and now you're saying you like me? _

_**Oh shut up! Trust me, if I didn't like you, I'd still go through with my little plan about the next spring, but you're actually a late bloomer for that to work! **_

_Geh, just what were you planning to do to me, Kyuubi? _

_**Spring is the fox's mating season, Kit. If I had gone through with it, you and the vixen would be 'joined at the hip', in more ways than one! **_

_Oh, Kami, please don't! _

_**Pay attention! I told you, you're a late bloomer, so I'll hold it back until we get back to the village. And before you ask why I can hold it back forever, it's too powerful an urge for me to do that. My Chakra will spike, within the next three years, and when it does, either you find yourself a mate, or spend the day locked up so you won't attack the first vixen to cross your path!**_

_So there's no avoiding it_? He felt the fox shake his head. _Okay, so I guess I need to lock my doors when that time comes. Thanks for the warning, Kyuubi._ The Kyuubi grumbled something.

**_About that, Kit. My name isn't Kyuubi, it's Kurama._**

Naruto smiled, "Nice to meet you, Kurama."

"Oi, shithead," Tayuya moaned, "Keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!"

* * *

_**Whoowee! That was the longest chapter I've ever written! A little action, drama, and suspense in this chapter. Sadly, this will end the first part of the story. Consider these first five chapters as prologue to the main story, which will take place three years as usual per the storyline. Now you've got to wonder how things are going to change for the story after the time skip. How will Naruto take his new status, and how will the village accept Tayuya?**_

_**As always, constructive criticism, and reviews are appreciated, but no flames!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**To put your worries to rest, no this will not be a Harem fic, I've never been good with those. Though that won't stop me from giving Tayuya a reason to...well act like Tsunade on a bad day.**_

_**6: Return of the Namikaze**_

* * *

"They're late," growled an iritated Tsunade. Sakura Haruno felt the same irritation.

"This almost as bad a waiting for Kekashi sensei!" The pinkette growled, an almost perfect imitation of her shishio. "I wonder what Jiraiya-sama managed to teach him?"

"Hopefully something useful," the blonde woman said, cracking her knuckles, "But so help me, if he taught that boy anything perverted..." She let the threat hang in the air.

The two Genin guards at the gates looked nervous. Sakura giggled, "I'm sure that he's done right by Naruto. I mean look at what's been done for the village already!" Tsunade smiled and nodded. It was true, since the re-establishment of the Uchiha clan, things had improved for the young blonde's reputation.

Saiga proved to be an invaluable asset to the village, even without his Sharingan. He was an excellent shinobi, and now his clan was well on it's way to being restored.

When Danzo had suggested the C.R.A, Tsunade had nearly sent the man flying, but Saiga had seen reason in the idea, but had made it clear that he would be the one choosing his wives, and not the council. As for the suggestion of Naruto going through the act, the clans had put that on hold seeing as the boy in question would be returning to the village for sometime.

Unfortunately for him, Danzo had already composed a list of young shinobi women that showed interest in the Namikaze clan. When Sakura had heard the news of the act being forced, she'd almost broken the doors down in her attempts to get to the bandaged man.

As for th Uzumaki clan, they had done well for themselves. Many of the seals they had brought to the village served greater purposes. Training weights were no longer used for young Genin, as the Uzumaki Gravity Seals were easily applied, and easy for the young shinobi to use.

"Shishio, are you worried about what Naruto will say about the C.R.A?" Sakura asked, "I mean, knowing him, he's liable to pitch a fit if it's forced on him."

"Oh, I doubt that the council would risk upsetting the last surviving member of the Namikaze clan." Tsunade said, sighing heavily, "It's the fact that Jiraiya might actually try to convince him to go through with it that has me worried."

Sakura deadpanned, "He would, wouldn't he?"

"He would," she said, "Which is why I sent a message to him earlier this week in hopes of warning him. Danzo will most likely try and start pushing the girls at him as soon as he gets back, bar the Chunin exams, and find some way to tie the boy to him."

"Naruto won't go for that," Sakura said, "He'll go straight for the exams."

Tsunade chuckled, "Without a doubt."

Suddenly, she felt a shiver going down her spine. "Without a doubt, Tsunade-hime, you've done _weeeellll_!"

"_Pervert_!"

xXx

"Cool, I can see the village!" Yelled a tall young blonde. "We're almost home!" Beside him a red-haired young woman snorted.

"Speak for yourself, Foxy," she said, "They'll probably take me to prison, and you to the bunny farm!"

Naruto shivered, "Over my dead body, no way are you going to jail after all the help you've been. And I am not letting them stick me with a _wife_ or two!"

Tayuya rolled her eyes at him, "Like you would know what to do with a girl if she said ohayou to you!"

"And what does that make you?" Naruto grinned, "You're a girl - "

"No shit, Foxy, nice of you to notice." She batted her eyes at him, making him cringe.

"Don't do that," Naruto shivered, "It really doesn't suit you."

She scowled at him,"What the fuck does that mean?"

Naruto grinned at her, "_That's_ what I mean, Tayuya-chan, I don't know any girls that curse as much as you do."

"So what?" She growled.

Naruto laughed, "So a lot of girls at the village would be picking their jaws up off the ground if they heard you on one of your rants." He laughed again, imagining Ino or Sakura listening to the red-head, "Matter of fact, I hope I'm there to see it!"

"Yeah, yeah, you will if I have anything to say about it." She said, "Wonder what happened to Jiji?" Naruto shrugged. Jiraiya had disappeared earlier that morning, saying that he'd meet them in the village.

"Knowing him, he's either scoping out the bathhouse, or he's playing with Baa-chan." He said, groaning, "I swear, it's like looking after a kid in a candy store!"

Tayuya giggled, "Come on, he's not that bad!"

"Really? After that time he tried to peep on you last year?" Naruto asked.

"I've got nothing to hide," she said, looping her arms behind her head, "so long as he doesn't try anything other than that, we're good."

Naruto thought for a moment, "So you don't mind being spied on?"

"I didn't say _that_!" She yelled.

"But you just said- "

"Shut the fuck up!" She yelled, "Jiji's harmless! _You_ on the other hand - "

"Like I'd do that!"Naruto growled.

"You _groped_ me!" Tayuya snapped.

"Are you ever gonna let me live that down?" Naruto asked, blushing, "I already told you that Kurama woke me up!"

"Oh sure, blame the fox!" Tayuya sneered.

_**That's what I said.** _Kurama snickered. **_Admit it, Kit. You've lost._**

_Don't start. It's bad enough that she never lets me forget that little stunt you put me through! _

_**Sure, and have you forgotten what's about to happen? Two months and it's time to go crazy, Kit. **_

_Don't remind me._

"Are you two fighting again?" Tayuya asked, seeing the look on his face. Whenever Naruto started staring off into space, she knew he had to be talking to his tenant again. Normally, as Naruto put it, they argued over things, like Naruto not eating enough meat.

"No, he's just reminding me of something I don't want to think about." Naruto said, sighing.

Tayuya shrugged, not wanting to pry.

"_Pervert_!"

"Huh?" Tayuya blinked.

Naruto laughed, "I think we just found Ero-sennin." A minute later they both heard a high-pitched scream that was most definitely the old toad sage when he was being beaten for doing _research_ where he wasn't supposed to.

_**You know, maybe you should take a card from his hand. You might actually win over a** **vixen**._

"No thanks!" Naruto shouted out loud, causing Tayuya to look at him.

"What did he say this time?" She asked.

"That I should be more like Ero-sennin," he said, groaning again, "Like that would happen."

"I wouldn't let you live that long." She smiled sweetly, making Naruto shiver all the way to his sandles.

Soon they came up to the gates of the village, and spotted three familiar figures. One was a taller blonde woman with pigtails, and something that made Tayuya cross her arms in jealousy. "Fuck, I'm _sixteen_ for Kami's sake, where're my tits at?" She grumbled.

Naruto bit back a laugh that would have surely sent him flying into the Hokage Monument. The other figure was a slim younger girl with short pink hair dressed in red. Lastly, of course, was a beaten and battered Jiraiya. His face was puffed up from numerous punches to the face.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out, waving to them. Naruto smiled and waved back. Tayuya did nothing, unsure of what to do. Naruto saw this, noticing that she'd clenched her hands. Still smiling, he reached out and took her left in his right and pulled her along gently. She didn't resist. Over the years, they'd come to do this unconsciously at times when they made it to a new village or met new people.

Tayuya was actually very shy despite her brash attitude. And when that shyness took over, he'd always take her hand like he'd just done and take the lead.

When the two women saw this, both were equally stunned, only just noticed the girl since she seemed to be hanging back from him slightly. Sakura was more freaked than anything. The Naruto _she_ knew was an idiotic brat that wouldn't know what to do with a girl even if someone gave him a manual. Tsunade, however, had a wide smile on her face when she saw the girl.

"Like father like son, huh, Jiraiya?" She asked.

"That he is," her old partner said as the two teens came closer, "They've come a long way in the last three years. I'm proud to call them _both_ my apprentices."

Tsunade gave him a look, "So the toads accepted her?"

"No," Jiriaya said sadly, "She wasn't able to stay astride Bunta for more than a minute before she was thrown. But she has something different. I think you'll be surprised."

"Baa-chan!" Naruto said, "It's great to see you!"

A vein throbbed on her head, "How many times have I told you not to cal me that, Brat?"

Sakura looked worried. She knew that Tsunade had a terrible temper, even when she was sober. "Um, Shishio, I'm sure he didn't - " She started, but she didn't need to worry, because a moment later the Slug Sannin enveloped the younger blonde in a bone-crushing hug.

"By Kami you've grown, Naruto!" She said to the boy she'd viewed as a little brother, "I can't really call you a shrimp anymore!" Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Thanks, but I've still got a ways to go before I catch up to my dad." He grinned. Tsunade frowned a little. So he really did know. "But, I've had to grow a little just to keep up with the training I went through."

Her smile returned, "I should hope so, and you'll have a chance to show me what you've got. The Chunin exams are coming up soon."

"Cool, it's about time I earned that promotion!"

"Naruto," Sakura said, looking at the strange red-head standing behind him, "Who's your friend?" This brought Tsunade's attention to the girl. The former Otonin bit her lip in nervousness. In Tsunade's eyes the girl slightly resembled Kushina, but she was obviously not an Uzumaki due to her low Chakra levels. Low compare to the Uzumaki clan, she thought, but she's close to a Jonin's level in Chakra. She also seemed to gravitate herself around the blonde teen unconsciously.

Naruto grinned again, "This is my friend, Tayuya."

Tsunade smiled, "Formerly of Otogakure, am I correct?" Sakura's eyes widened. _A sound ninja_? She thought, then watched as Tayuya nodded. Tsunade kept the smile on her face, "Well, welcome to Konoha."

"Thanks," she said, still keeping close to Naruto.

"So," Sakura said, "How did the training go?"

The three of them looked a little disappointed. Tsunade frowned, "Don't tell me you couldn't control the fox?"

"It's not that he couldn't control it," Jiraiya said, scratching his neck, "It's just using it weakens the seal."

Tsunade looked a little shocked, "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough," Naruto said, "The fox was the one that warned me about it."

"Wait a minute," Sakura said, "The fox told you?"

"_You_ know?" Naruto asked, almost forgetting that she was there.

"Yeah, I found out when Shishio told me you were the Yondaime's son." She said smiling, then frowned a little, "Plus a lot of people kept calling you a demon, and other things."

"He's not!" Tayuya growled.

"Calm down," Naruto said, soothing his friend, "You know how people talk." He turned back to Sakura, "But yeah, the fox himself warned me about the seal weakening. He even told me his name. So we've just been focusing on getting stronger in case the Akatsuki turn up."

"That's good to know, since they're bound to show up here in the next day or so." Tsunade said, "Since Gaara has been named Kazekage, he'll be coming here to oversee his Genin for the Chunin exams, and we have the Riakage and his brother coming for their own shinobi. So that's two more Jinchuriki. It's too tempting for them to pass up."

"So, Gaara's Kazekage now?" Naruto said, smiling, "I guess I've got some catching up to do."

Tsunade nodded, "Your friendship with him has made things between us easy. Suna is now one of our greatest allies. Now, why don't I show you to your new home?"

"New home?" Naruto said, confused.

"That's right, you don't think you're parents left you with nothing, do you?" Tsunade smiled, "Apart from being the finest Fuin masters in the village, they were the wealthiest. And I think its time you found out just how much you still have of them."

xXx

The walk through the village was just like Naruto had expected. They were all there, the cold glares, the whispers, someone even threw a rock in his direction. It was a small mercy for the villagers that Naruto stood behind Tsunade so that she couldn't see what was going on. If she did, then whoever threw the rock would be dead.

Tayuya was a little shocked at how bad he was being treated. If it were her, she would have attacked at the first whisper. But her friend was taking it like it was an everyday thing.

For him, it was true, this had been an everyday thing long ago, and it still pained him that so many people viewed him as his tenant's incarnation. At the moment, said tenant was desperately trying not to lose himself to the rage that was bubbling up inside him at his host's mistreatment. Naruto calmed him, saying that there was nothing they could do that wouldn't work against them in the villagers' favors.

"Look, the demon brat has himself a whore!" Someone whispered, catching the blonde Jinchuriki's attention.

"Don't point at them, they'll hear you!" Said a woman.

"Who cares, it's not like he'll do anything. He's too afraid of being tossed out of the village! And only a whore would let herself be seen with that monster!" Naruto's patience snapped then. Without stopping to think of the consequences he rounded on the villager and punched him square in the face. The woman that had been with him was now horrified to see that the normally tame "demon brat" had lashed out at someone.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She yelled, "What right do you have to attack him?!"

Tsunade had turned and was watching the scene unfold with interest while Jiraiya grinned in amusement. Sakura and Tayuya weren't sure what to think, neither of them were used to seeing Naruto strike out at anyone like this.

"What right?" Naruto sneered angrily at the woman, who backed away in fear, "What gives you the right to speak about someone you've never even met? For all you know, Tayuya could be the daughter of a Kage, yet you assume she is my whore just because she's with me."

The man he'd knocked down groaned, and staggered back to his feet. "How dare you?!" He reached a nearby broom, and swung it. Naruto caught it easily, and crushed the wooden handle like it was nothing.

"How dare you?!" Naruto growled back, "You forget, I'm a shinobi of this village. And I'm also the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the same beast the Yondaime Hokage gave his life to seal away! If I didn't look up to him so much, if I didn't love this village, what's to stop me from letting the fox loose, and letting him destroy everything and everyone that's ever caused me pain!"

Tsunade stepped forward, "I certainly wouldn't blame you. And it makes things worse that you are the Yondaime's son, and these people still treat you like trash." She then turned to the man that had provoked him. "And you should know, that this being a shinobi village, you are at our mercy. Should you deem it neccessary to attack one of my shinobi, then they will defend themselves, should you provoke them, then they will act. Naruto Namikaze is a shinobi, and you will treat him with respect."

The man growled, and backed away. He'd seen Tsunade's temper in action. The slug sennin smirked, having made her point. "Come along, Gaki, you should see your new home before we get down to business with the training mission."

Tayuya smiled, "Come on, Shithead-kun, time to check the new fox den!"

Naruto couldn't help grinning, "Are you _ever_ going to use my name on regular basis?"

"Do I ever?" She walked back to him and looped her arm through his, "Come on. You're from a respectable clan, no need to be seen around the common _rabble_."

Jiraiya grinned when he heard a fair few growls at her comment. "Tayuya-chans right, Gaki, besides we still have to deal with that C.R.A, don't we?"

Naruto shivered, "Oh, dear Kami, just what I need. Fangirls!"

Sakura giggled, "Oh, come on, Naruto, it won't be that bad!"

"_HELP_ _MEEEEE_!"

"Here we go again!" Tsunade winced, "Against the walls!" Naruto watched as she and Sakura backed against the wall while Jiraiya slowly followed suit. Naruto and Tayuya looked at each other and shrugged and got against the wall. Not a moment too soon, as it turned out, as a familiar face came barreling down the street, with a large mob right behind him.

"Is that Saiga?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yup," Tusnade grinned, "Ever since he turned sixteen, he's been the village's most illegible bachelor."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, "You mean he wasn't forced into the C.R.A?"

Sakura grinned, "Oh they tried, but he made it clear that he'd be choosing his own wives," she giggled, "But that hasn't _stopped_ the ladies from going after him!"

"Wow," both Naruto and Tayuya smirked.

"'_SCUSEMEPARDONMECOMIN'THROUGH_!" Saiga roared, racing past them, coming to a near abrupt halt when he spotted Naruto and Tayuya, "Naruto?"

"Hey!" Naruto raised his hand in greeting, "How's village life?"

"Peachey!" Saiga grinned, "Couldn't be better!"

"Saiga-sama!" The female mob yelled.

"_TIME TO GO_!" Saiga lept away, just as the mob thundered past them. Tayuya nearly fell over laughing at the teen's predicament, having to hold on to a an equally boisterous Naruto, who had tears in his eyes.

"Oh, brother!" Naruto laughed, "That's worse than what Sasuke had to go through!"

"Holy shit!" Tayuya howled, "How does he put up with that?!"

Tsunade chuckled, "He puts it down as speed training. Some of the older Uzumaki boys have the same problem among their age groups, but they...well let's just say they have your mother's sense of humor."

"Ha! I need to get to know my extended family!" Naruto crowed, his bad mood all but forgotten.

Ten minutes later found the group in front of a sizable estate. The wooden gates that lead to the grounds were sealed with what Naruto identified as a blood seal that reacted to the family member's touch, recognizing the blood running through the person's veins.

"This one's pretty complicated," Naruto said, examining the seal, "If anyone other than a member of the clan or a close friend that the caster worked into the seal touches this, it's a one way trip to see Kami-sama, courtesy of a powerful shock!"

Jiraiya chuckled, "If I remember correctly, several of Danzo's men tried, but as you can guess, several needed to be replaced."

"Well, come on!" Tayuya sighed, taking hold of Naruto's hand and pressing it against the seal. Naruto fully expected himself to receive a shock, but instead it glowed a golden color, and the seal dispelled, and the heavy wooden gates swung open.

The path the gates revealed was slightly grown up due to lack of use, but otherwise clean. The house that was seen was on top of a small hill was a large traditional house that reminded Naruto somewhat of the Hyuga clan's estate, slightly smaller in size, though.

"Wow," was all Naruto could get out. Tayuya giggled, and tugged him onto the grounds toward the house, "Come on, Foxy, let's check it out!"

Naruto nodded dumbly and tagged along behind her. Once they were up the path, Naruto found a similar seal on the front door, which he quickly deactivated, and the door slid open for him, almost as if it was welcoming him home. There was the sound of rushing wind as the door opened, like there was no air inside the house.

"That's probably an air-tight seal to keep out the dust and keep things inside fresh and clean." Tsunade said, "Kushina always did like to keep a clean house."

That makes sense, Naruto thought, and kicked off his sandles as he entered the house. It was overwhelming to him, in a way, that he was actually standing in his parents home, his home, after so long of thinking he was alone in the world.

Lining the walls were numerous pictures of his parents in varying stages of their lives from their academy days to a picture of Minato and Kushina facing the camera with Kushina extremely far along in pregnancy.

His eyes stung with unshed tears as he took it all in.

"This is - "

"To fucking right it is," Tayuya smiled at him, giving his hand a squeeze, "Welcome home, Shithead-kun." Naruto blinked, snapping out of his daze and looked down at her with a smirk.

"You know, you should really refer to me as _Namikaze-sama_." He grinned, then winced as the red-head flicked his cheek.

"In your dreams," she said.

"Speaking of dreams," Tsunade said, making her presence known to them once more, "Where are you planning to sleep, Tayuya-chan?"

Tayuya hadn't thought about that. For the last three years after the incident at the old base with Yamato no Orochi, she'd stuck close to Naruto, even sleeping close to him. She wasn't sure she could fall asleep without hearing him breathing.

"She'll stay here," Naruto spoke up, surprising the two women, and causing Tayuya to look up at him, "That is, if she feels comfortable with it?"

"It's fine by me," she said, not really sure if she could refuse.

"I kinda thought he'd say that," Jiraiya smirked, drawing the attention of the older blonde and pinkette, "Those to are as close as siblings. I even let them spend a year on their own, and they came out of that singing show tunes."

"You left them _alone_!" Tsunade growled.

"For a whole _year_!" Sakura yelled, imitating her sensei.

"Yes, and in that time, if you haven't checked the bingo books, they took down _five_ A-class Jonins, and there lackies." Jiraiya pointed out, "The Gakis are now rich because of that."

Despite the successfullness of that venture, this did not save the toad Sannin from a pink and blonde beating.

While this was going on, Naruto and Tayuya moved further into the house, taking in the surroundings. The back of the house was a spacious training area, as well as a small building that had steam rising from the window. "That must be a bathhouse." Tayuya said, "Better not invite Jiji over, ne?"

"Yeah, it'll be like walking into one of his books!" Naruto snickered.

Tayuya giggled and pulled him down the halls toward what had to be the sleeping areas. Naruto opened one the doors...and nearly broke down right there. Tayuya peeked around him to see what was wrong until she saw it. Inside was a small room, with light blue trimmed walls and little toads printed on the walls, and a multitude of small toys; a nursery.

Naruto walked into the room slowly, leaving Tayuya at the door, and taking it all in. There was also a small cradle in the room, and a small bed just big enough for a toddler with a little nightstand beside it. "This was supposed to be _mine_..." He breathed out, and then the tears did spill out. Naruto sank to his knees, covering his face and trying to hide his tears.

Tayuya had rarely seen the blonde Jinchuriki cry before, but when he did it was only out of sheer happiness or sadness. This, she could see, was a mixture of the two. Sadness for what he'd lost and never had the chance to know. Happiness for the simple fact that he hadn't been unwanted.

Stepping into the room silently, and kneeling by his side to place a hand on his shoulder. "Welcome home, Naruto Namikaze."

* * *

**_Here the new chapter, a little late, I know, but hey, gotta make it good, right? Like I said, this will not be a Harem-fic, so no multiple pairings, sorry folks. Anyway, Naruto and Tayuya are back in the village with the next Chunin exams right around the corner. To put a topper on things, both the Kazekage and the Raikage will be in attendance. What's the worst thing that could happen, right?_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Here we go again! Hot off the press, and boy are my fingers tired! Well, enough of my complaints, enjoy, folks!**_

_**7: Complications**_

* * *

Later that day after Naruto and Tayuya were settled, Tsunade returned to the ever present task of Hokage, mainly...paperwork. "I swear, there's no end to this!" She groaned, and reached for her drawer, pulling out a half-full bottle of Sake.

"A little early for that, isn't it, Hime-chan?" Tsunade sputtered just before putting the bottle to her lips and whirled around to find Jiraiya sitting in the window.

_Why do I never have that thing locked_? She wondered, "What are you doing here, Pervert?"

"I just thought I'd drop by before heading out again." He said, holding up his hands, "Besides, I saw that you took an interest in Tayuya-chan's closeness to the gaki."

Tsunade harumphed and took a long swing from her bottle, "So what? I'm entitled, aren't I?" She growled, "What is it with those two, anyway?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "Well, you know Naruto. He's friendly toward everyone. Tayuya's become like a sister to him these last three years, and she treats him like a true friend...when no one's around!"

"So they're just friends, eh?" She said, taking another drink, "I have a feeling that won't last too long." She and Jiraiya chuckled.

Jiraiya smiled, "Oh, there's something there alright, they're both just too dense to see it yet. I mean the way the two of them stayed so close on the trip was proof enough for that."

"Then why - ?"

"Mainly because its just them, Hime-chan," he grinned as a tick mark appeared on her head, "Tayuya-chan doesn't really get love, seeing as she was practically raised by Orochimaru, and Naruto wouldn't know if someone loved him unless they came out and screamed it in his face!"

Tsunade threw her head back and laughed, "You're right about that. His mother was the same way in a sense, she didn't know how Minato felt until that one time she was kidnapped!"

Jiraiya grinned, "He's a lot like them, isn't he?"

"More than I can say." She said, "It's almost painful how much he resembles both of them. Tell me, if you couldn't help him with the Kyuubi's Chakra, then when did you work on?"

Jiraiya chuckled again, "Believe it or not, that boy has a talent for _Fuinjutsu_!"

"Really?"

"Completely," he said, "He even worked out a seal that's able to draw a living soul into an object. He could imprison the Sanbi if we knew where the creature was!"

"You looked for it?" Tsunade felt her temper rise, "You know how dangerous that thing is? It may only have three tails, but a Biju is a Biju!"

"Calm down," Jiraiya said, "They did that on their own, because, and this is what Naruto told me, Kurama, that's the fox's name, wanted his brother to live in peace. That particular seal would have let it fall into a sleep as long as the seal was in place."

"So it was the fox's idea?" She scoffed, "I find it hard to believe that a tailed-beast would actually try to hunt down one of its own just to seal it away!"

"That's what I said when they told me about the mission, but Kurama assured me that sealing the Sanbi away was for the best, since it would ruin whatever the Akatsuki have planned...Unless they have a Fuin master in their midst."

"They would have to," she sighed, "From what I've heard, they seek to extract the Biju from their Jinchuriki hosts, which we know would be the death of that person."

Jiraiya groaned, "After all this time, there's still so little we know!"

"Well, there's still time," Tsunade said, "After the Chunin exams, I'm going to wrap the matter of Sasuke Uchiha up for good."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I intend to have a team go after him and Orochimaru." She clarified, "I've had enough of his nonsense! The council has been breathing down my neck ever since Shikamaru and his team came back so badly injured from the last mission!"

"You do realize that Tayuya was part of the same team that took Sasuke?" Jiraiya asked.

"I do," she nodded, "Which is why I'm planning to bring it up with the council, though I'll need to speak to Temari and Shikamaru about her, there may be some hard feelings between them." She smiled, "But I have a feeling that if anyone tries to harm the girl, Naruto will definitely let them see what he can do."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement, "If anyone hurt little Tayuya-chan, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to rip into them like he _was_ the Biju he contained."

xXx

Naruto sat in the living room of his parents' home, now his home, letting the day's events shift through his thoughts. Seeing the room he should have grown up in had been too much for him in the emotional long run, even if Tayuya had comforted him, it was Kurama that had calmed him, and drawn the young blonde into his mind and let the boy blow off some steam.

Blowing off said steam had consisted off a major spar with the enormous fox, which left him tired, yet satisfied. When he'd woken up, Tayuya had moved away and stepped into the kitchen to start unsealing all their scrolls that contained food to start dinner. Unfortunately, in the three years of training, _cooking_ had not agreed with her.

Naruto found her sobbing angrily over what used to be a frying pan, and what looked like rice or some sort of vegetable. Naruto took the chance to suggest they go out for dinner, which she agreed to after she calmed down a little.

The first thing that had been on Naruto's mind since he'd thought of food was his favorite food stand, Ichiraku Ramen. Tayuya, seeing where this was going, demanded her own favorite, dango.

This led to a small confrontation on Naruto's part when the ran into a certain tokubetsu Jonin that also loved dango, and messing with Naruto. Anko Mitarashi immediately homed in on the pair as soon as they entered the little café. She had already finished around ten sticks of her favorite sweets, and threw one of the sharp sticks straight at Naruto's right cheek.

Not expecting the attack, Naruto flinched away when he felt the scratch, and ducked only to be caught in a familiar hold. "Well, well lookie what we have here!" Naruto shivered as he felt Anko's tongue flick over the small trail of blood running down his cheek. "Still as tasty as before!" Tayuya turned a dangerous shade of red as she saw the strange woman hanging all over her friend, and more so when she noticed that her "_assets_" were firmly planted in the blonde Genin's back.

Naruto took notice of two things, three if one wanted to be technical, which was the fact that Anko was practically smothering him with her ample breasts, and the outraged look on his red-headed companion. All in all, he was not in his happy place. The ensuing fight between the two kunoichi left the dango shop a mess, and several other people stuck to the walls with dango sticks, which included an unfortunate Naruto.

When ANBU ninja had finally arrived to break up the fight, Naruto had already decided that he would never go near another dango as long as he lived.

All of this led to Tayuya carrying an exhausted, and beaten Naruto home with an extremely amused fox roaring with laughter at the poor blonde's misfortune. Now he found himself lounging on the couch, trying to figure out what he was going to do during the Chunin exam...or what he was going to do with Tayuya for that matter. She wasn't even a Konoha shinobi, which made her an enemy in the eyes of Danzo and the other elders.

Danzo, he knew from Jiraiya's warnings, would stop at nothing to try and control him, whether it be a form of Genjutsu, or a form of blackmail, he would do anything. _He might even go after Tayuya-chan. _He thought, which made him uncomfortable. He knew Tayuya well enough to know that she'd take half the village with her before Danzo managed to subdue her, perhaps even killing herself in the process.

_And then I would fight for her. _He thought, knowing full well that he was more than capable of destroying the village if he wanted.

Then he heard a dark chuckling in the back of his mind. _**Those are dark thoughts, Kit, for one that wants nothing but peace. Why the sudden urge to destroy? **_

_It's hard to explain. _Naruto said to the fox. _Tayuya-chan didn't come here so people could mistreat her. _

_**Hn, that is true, Kit, but you know that people will always talk about things that interest them, and not all of it will be pleasant. Take your situation for example. People view you as myself, when you are only my container. Also people think it blasphemous that you are the Yondaime's son, when you carry the burden that he entrusted to you. You see? **_

_Yeah_, Naruto thought, _People simply place blame where none should be placed for the sins of others...come to think of it, you never did tell me why you attacked the village, Kurama. _

_**That's something I really don't like to talk about, Kit. Truth be none, I didn't want to attack the village. When Kushina had just given birth to you, a masked man with a black cloak took you from them, and threaten to kill you if they didn't hand Kushina over to him. **_

_And they did? _

_**No, Minato managed to snatch you from him, but there were exploding seals attached to you, and he had to use his Flying Thunder God technique to get you away before they went off. In that amount of time, I was torn from Kushina's body, which should have killed her immediately, but she held on. It's one of the things I admired about her. She was by far the strongest female I'd ever met. **_

Naruto smiled, _Thanks, Kurama. So what happened next? _

_**Well, of course, Minato went after him. But by that time, I was already under a powerful Genjutsu that was, if you can believe it, a Sharingan power. **_

_You mean it was an Uchiha?! _

_**I'm not entirely sure of that, Kit, remember, back then, the Uchiha were plentiful, which could easily mean that someone slew one the clansmen and took their eyes from them. **_

_I guess that's true. So what happened then? _

_**I was forced to lay waste to the village.**_Kurama said, sadly, **_I had to fight with many of the village clans, including the Akamichi clan head, and that is something I'll not soon forget!_ **Nartuo laughed, remembering that the Akamichi clan specialized in expanding themselves into giants, making them almost impossible to best in combat. _  
_

_Did you have to fight my dad? _

_**Yes, as a matter of fact, he dropped a giant toad on my back! **_

_You mean, Chief Toad? Wow, that must have hurt! _

_**It did. But not as much as what happened next. I attacked you, Naruto. **_

_What? Why?! _

_**Because, after the Genjutsu had ceased, I was in a rage. All the while your father was getting ready to seal me away again, in a child no less. So I attacked. **_

_I guess I can understand you wanting to be free again...so what happened then? Were you sealed? _

_**Not quite. After I attacked...Kit, you must realize that the seals Minato used that night were life-threatening to the caster. He and Kushina were already dying. **_

_Kurama, _Naruto said, _what happened? _

_***Sigh* When I tried to attack you, Kit, both of them threw themselves in front of my claws...Kit...Naruto, I'm sorry. **_

_Why are you sorry? Kurama, you didn't force the seal open. It was that masked man, wasn't it? Wait! Could it have been the Akatsuki?! _

_**The ones that wear those black cloaks with red clouds on them? Actually, you may be right, Kit! If they attack us during the Chunin exams, one of them might be the same one that attacked twelve years ago!**_

Naruto hopped off the couch, smiling a little at the news. _This is better than I hoped. If we can at least catch one of them, we could get a lot of answers out of him! _

**_Agreed, Kit, but I have a feeling that he is a true Uchiha. I've felt the pull of the Sharingan once before in my life, and it was Madara Uchiha that controled me. _**

_Never heard of him. _Naruto said, much to Kurama's pleasure. To him, Madara would be better off forgotten with the sands of time. Naruto yawned, deciding he'd had enough for one day, and moved done the hall to his chosen bedroom. His parents room was the largest, but it didn't feel right to him just yet to even think about sleeping in there.

It worked out well for Tayuya, seeing as there were two beds in the room, which ment she could sleep comfortable until she got used to the new living conditions. Unfortunately...

**_Kit,_**Kurama said, when Naruto reached the door, **_perhaps you should_ - **

He slid the door open -

_**- Knock.** _

- and there stood Tayuya with her back to him, and her shirt raised half-way up. Before Naruto could stammer out an apology, his eyes had roamed over every inch of exposed skin, homing in on the small scrap of lace around her chest.

Tayuya blushed deeply, and quickly pulled her shirt back into place. "You could fucking knock!"

"S-s-sorry!" Naruto spun around, covering his eyes, "I-I-I thought you were already asleep!"

"You know I can't sleep alone!" She snapped, "I was waiting on you!" Then blushed when she realized how her words came out, "I mean I'm used to your snoring!"

Naruto sighed, he knew how Tayuya slept. More than once on their trip the girl had woken from a bad dream or two, and crawled over to him while she was still half-asleep. She'd always made sure to wake early enough to creep back to her own bed before he woke up, but he always knew when she curled up against him.

"Okay, I'll step out again so you can change," he said, and closed the door.

Tayuya grumbled, "Could've fucking turned around." She quickly threw her close off and found an over-sized shirt to throw over herself. Normally she slept in her gear, but now it wasn't needed anymore. She could relax and enjoy herself without having to worry about having to move at first notice.

_Don't get too fucking comfy, girl. _She thought, un-snapping her bra, _I still have to deal with the damned council. Once they find out who I am, the shit really hits the fan! _But to be able to sleep peacefully even one night was her idea of heaven. Even when they'd rested in hotels and inns there had been very little time for real rest.

The best night she'd had was when she'd first started the journey, when Naruto had healed her. She blushed at that, still not knowing why she'd felt so...safe.

She tossed her clothes to the floor at the foot of her bed."Oi, Shithead-kun," she called, "I'm done, so let's get to bed!"

"R-right!" He stammered, coming back into the room. His face still held the blush. "Sorry, Tayuya-chan."

"Forget it," she sighed, sitting on the edge of her bed, _When did I start letting him call me "Tayuya-chan"? _"Just knock next time, got it?"

"Yeah," he took off his vest and jacket, "You gonna be okay?"

"The fuck are you talkin' about now?" She asked.

"Well," he said, "Tomorrow is the council meeting to induct you into the village. How are we going to handle that?"

Tayuya sniffed, "Fuck if I know," she said truthfully, "Think about it, my old boss wasn't the most popular of shinobi, so they might call for my head on a spike for all I know."

Naruto growled, "Over my dead body."

"Naruto," he looked over at her. She never used his name unless she was either scared, or pissed. This time he couldn't tell which. "I'm serious here, don't do anything stupid tomorrow. If they have me thrown in jail then so be it. If you do anything, the fucking civilian counsel will try to have you thrown out of the village!"

Naruto thought about that while he settled into bed, and gazed up at the ceiling. In Tsunade's message, she'd told him that he'd been made a clan head on the shinobi council for the Namikaze clan, along with being put on the Clan Restoration Act. He knew enough to see that the civilians would never do something like that. It was the shinobi council that had made the desicion. _Could it be Danzo? _

_**What are you thinking, Kit?**_Kurama asked, _**You know there's nothing you can do if the shinobi council votes against her.**_Naruto smiled at that. Konoha was one of the most powerful shinobi villages in the Land of Fire. It had the Hyuga, and Uchiha clans Doujutsu, and it had given birth to the Senju, Uzumaki, and Namikaze clans three powerful clans that had no Kekkei Genkai of their own, but were feared and respected among all others so much that all three had practically been wiped out. And he was the last Namikaze. If they lost him...

"I've got an idea," he said, startling both Kurama and Tayuya. "Tomorrow, the council will see just how far I'll go for my friends." Tayuya sat up and looked over at him, but saw that he'd already closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

She smiled as she heard his soft snoring. "You big idiot." She then settled back down and quickly fell asleep.

xXx

The shinobi council had gathered early the next morning, all of whom wondering why the Hokage had called them so early. What surprised them was the newly added seat. And its occupant.

Naruto Uzumaki, now Namikaze, sat waiting with his arms crossed while Tsunade sat at her desk in the council room. Hiashi Hyuga was the least surpised out of the older generation, but two smiled as they recognized the young man he had become.

"Naruto-san!" Akira smiled, "It's so good to see you again!" Naruto smiled at his relative, and rose to shake the man's hand as he moved to take his seat beside Naruto.

"Good to see you in better shape than when we found you," Naruto said, returning the man's gesture. "How is everyone?"

"Fine, and doing better than we have in a decade!" Akira smiled, "A lot new children have come into the clan, and the older ones have become fine young shinobi! And the seals we know are being incorporated into the training regiments!"

"That's good to hear," Naruto said, "Jiraiya can't be the only _Funinjutsu_ master around her anymore!"

"Hello!" Said an irritated Saiga Uchiha, "Did you forget about me?"

Naruto chuckled rubbing his nose, "Now how could I forget the person who made me laugh so much after I'd just gotten back to the village?"

"You think that was funny?" Saiga paled, remembering the countless times he'd nearly been violated by gaggles of girls when he hadn't been fast enough. "Just wait, Naruto, when word gets out that you're part of a powerful clan, you'll be right there beside me, and running for the sake of your chastity!"

"As if I'd let that happen!" Tayuya yelled, making her presence known to all as she sat in the Hot Seat in the middle of the room. "No fucking tramp is going to do that while I'm around!"

"Tayuya-san!" Both Saiga and Akira smiled, then both of them frowned as they realized why they'd been called. Tsunade noticed this and frowned. _That's two on her side. But what about the others? _

The shinobi council were all present and accounted for as the clan heads all took their seats. Next came the civilian council, all of whom looked directly at Naruto with displeasure. Lastly came Danzo. The bandaged man gave no emotions away as he took his seat between Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado.

Tayuya crossed her arms and legs in annoyance as the slow proceedings of the meeting commenced. She'd never tell anyone, but she was nervous as hell. If they voted against her...

"Let's begin by welcoming our new council member," Tsunade said cheerfully, "Naruto Namikaze-dono, please rise and greet the council please."

Naruto did as he was told, "Thank you for including me in the council so soon after my clan was re-established, Hokage-sama." Naruto managed to say with a straight face. Tsunade herself managed a small smile as she'd finally gotten a small ounce of respect out of the boy.

"You are welcomed among us," she said, "Now, moving on, our topic for today's meeting is allowing a new shinobi into the village."

There were murmurs and grumblings all around the room as they took in the girl in the seat before them. Tayuya restrained herself from giving many of the civilian council members the finger. She recognized two of them from the day before as the ones that had whispered insults about her and Naruto. One was the man Naruto had slugged after calling her a slut. The other was an older woman that had sneered at them as they'd passed by her.

Then she felt a cold gaze on her, and turned to find Danzo's one eye squinting at her with scrutiny. She shivered, feeling almost like a Genjutsu was being cast on her.

Naruto noticed this, and he recognized that there was a Genjutsu being cast over all the members of the council! Naruto growled, _Kurama! _

_**I know, Kit! I feel it, too! **_

_Someone's trying to control the meeting! Can you dispel it? _

_**Damn right I will!**_Kurama growled, **_I'm going to put the fear of the saints into whoever's doing this!_ **Naruto grinned as he felt the sheer killing intent leaking out from the fox, and into his Chakra network. Kurama's Chakra, as little as it was, sent a chill through the room that clashed with the Genjutsu that had seeped into the room.

Both Saiga and Akira snapped their heads toward the young blonde as they felt the deadly aura coming from him, making both of the cringe away from him. After a moment, the Genjutsu was overpowered, and every set of eyes was now trained on the young blonde.

"Naruto-dono," Tsunade said, her voice low with warning.

"Yes?" Naruto said, while giving Kurama the go ahead to shut off the Chakra flow. The chill immediately swept out of the room.

"Please control yourself," she said, "and try not to scare anyone."

"Forgive me, my _tenant_ was feeling frisky." He grinned, earning a few gasps from the civilians.

"Tenant?" Akira asked.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Naruto asked his relative, "I am the Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

"_Really_?" Saiga gasped, "I thought there was something odd about your Chakra signature!"

"I thought so as well," Akira said thoughtfully, "This is something! Your mother was the last container, and it was passed to you! Such a legacy!"

Naruto grinned, "It can be useful at time, but he can be a handful when he's trying play a trick on me."

_**Did I really deserve that? **_

_You did. _"Either way, let's get on with the meeting." Naruto said.

"Right," Tsunade smiled, "But please keep the Kyuubi silent, please?"

"I'll try," Naruto grinned, "But just to let you know, he get's very agitated when people call me '_demon brat_', or any other insults." This, of course, was directed toward the civilian council.

"Good, now let's proceed," Tsundae said cheerily, "Tayuya-san, what can you offer the village?"

Tayuya looked up at the blonde woman, "I'm a Genjutsu specialist, and I use a flute to cast the jutsu. I've also been trained by Jaiya the toad sage." This raised a few eyebrows among the shinobi.

"You trained alongside Jiraiya-sama?" Koharu asked, drawing the girl's attention, "Just what did he teach you?"

Tayuya smiled a warm smile she hoped was convincing, "I'm fairly good at the _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_, and I'm practicing water manipulation."

"Those are fairly high level jutsu techniques." Homura said, stroking his beard, "And the fact that you learned all of this from Jiraiya is quite something."

"Thank you, sir." Tayuya said, "He was pleased with my progress."

"I have a question," Danzo said coldly, "Where and how did you meet the toad Sannin?"

Naruto felt his teeth growing into fangs. This was the question both of them had been dreading.

Tayuya sighed, "He found me...trapped under a tree."

"_And_?" Danzo prompted, "What village were you affiliated with?"

"...Otogakure."

Everything was silent for a moment as the council seemed to let it all sink in. All of the shinobi in the room didn't seem to have a problem accepting this, but the normal people..

"You were a bitch from that snake!"

"Kenshi!" Tsunade yelled, but it was too late. Naruto's eyes flashed open became a deadly crimson as Kurama roared in rage inside of him at their friend's insult. The red Chakra of the Biju became visible in small streams that rose from Naruto's skin.

He looked straight at the frightened villager, "_Say that again, Kenshi-san_," his voice was deeper than usual with Kurama's influence, "_And I'll tear that disgusting tongue out of your skull_."

"Naruto, calm down!" Tsunade commanded, then directed a glare toward the civilians, "One more word out of _any_ of you and all of you will be removed!"

"We won't stand idly by while we're threatened by a demon!" Yelled the man that Naruto had attacked. "What reason do we even keep that _thing_ in the village?!"

"If you don't like the fact that we have a Jinchuriki in this village, then feel free to _leave_!" Saiga yelled, surprising everyone. The young Uchiha glared at everyone, shinobi and civilian alike. "You call him a demon? You haven't seen anything remotely demonic!" Even Koharu and Homura cringed at his glare, "I was a prisoner of that _snake_ as you call him, and let me tell you, if Naruto is a demon, then Orochimaru is the devil! Naruto saved me from a fate worse than death, and many others who came to this village by his behest, and now you treat him and his partner as monsters, when you owe them _two_ clans!"

"What do you know of it?" Kenshi growled, "The fox nearly killed everyone!"

"Then blame the _beast_ and not the _master_!" Saiga yelled.

"I agree with Uchiha-sama," Akira said, standing, "I've known two Jinchuriki in my life, both of them for the Kyuubi, and neither of them were remotely demonic!"

"Insolent little - "

"_ORDER_!" Tsunade roared angrily, giving off a wave of malice that put Kurama's earlier display to shame, and had said fox bowing his head in respect to the woman. "I've had enough! The reason I called this council meeting was to induct a new shinoi to this village, not so the civilians could form a _lynch mob_! ANBU!"

Fifteen masked shinobi flashed into the room.

"Escort the civilian council out," Tsunade ordered, "They've over stepped their boundaries for the last time!"

"Tsunade-hime I -" Danzo began, but was cut off by the blonde's glare.

"I said enough!" She growled, "Apparently you all do not take me seriously as the Hokage as of yet. You Danzo, along with the civilian council you are the head of, will no longer be privy to these meetings!"

"You can't do that!" Koharu yelled.

"You have no right!" Homura screeched.

"Oh don't I?" She asked, "You elected me as the Hokage. The ruler of this village, and it's people. If you wanted to make the laws of this village, then you should have taken the seat yourself!_ NOW GET OUT OF HERE!_" Tsunade's temper was well beyond the boiling point, and she kicked her desk clear across the room, forcing many shinobi to duck.

Needless to say, the three elders quickly exited the room.

xXx

**_That...was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!_ **Kurama laughed, _**I'll never forget the look on that old fart's face! **_

_Depends on which one you meant! _Naruto snickered, _The mummy, the banshee, or the bearded bastard! _

_**All three!**_Kurama howled.

It hadn't taken long for the meeting to end after all of the civilians had been removed. Though some had their doubts, Tayuya was voted in as a Konoha shinobi, five votes against four.

Now the pair were in the Hokage's office where Tayuya was recieving her status as a Genin of the village, along with her head band. Sakura joined them for a well earned cup of tea while Tsunade happily chugged down a fresh bottle of Sake. "_HAAA_! I finally put those jackasses in their places! _HAHA_!"

Naruto laughed nervously as the drunken Sannin celebrated. "Um, Baa-chan, maybe you should lighten up a little?"

"I am lightening up!" She laughed, "This is my favorite way to lighten up!"

"More like _boozing_ it up." He muttered. Suddenly he found himself assaulted, locked in a headlock from the legendary kunoichi.

"You say something, Gaki?" She growled.

"No ma'am, not me!" Naruto gulped. Tayuya snickered. In all honesty, she wasn't expecting something like this. To be the trigger in ousting an unfair civilian council.

"Thanks a lot, Tsunade-sama," she said, blushing a bit, "You really saved me."

Sakura smiled at the girl, "Shishio really hates being bossed around, so it worked out well for her. Besides that, you should be thanking Naruto."

"You're right," Tayuya grinned, "Thanks a lot, Shithead-kun!"

"Again with the _shithead_!" Naruto growled, "If I hadn't dispelled that Genjutsu, I would - "

"What Genjutsu?" Tsunade asked in surprise. "I didn't feel anything."

"I thought I felt something being cast," Tayuya put in, "I thought it was coming from that mummified fucker, but I can't be sure. It was really subtle, and hard to trace."

"Danzo?" Tsunade said, thoughtfully. "Hn, he is a war monger, and he'd do anything for power. I'll have to keep an eye on him."

"No kidding," Naruto said, grinning, "Kurama was pissed when he felt that Genjutsu. I thought he was going to go crazy!"

"_You_ nearly did," Tayuya grinned, "What got under your skin, Shithead-kun?"

Naruto grimaced, "Come on, I couldn't let them keep insulting you like that!"

Sakura giggled, "Oh, Naruto's defending a girl's honor, ne?"

"_SAKURA_!" Naruto growled.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune yelled, bursting into the room, "We've just gotten word that Iwa is coming to the Chunin exams!"

"What!" The blonde slammed her bottle down, "Why are they coming here?!"

"I don't know, m'lady," she said, "But this isn't good! If they see Naruto - "

"Then they'll try to kill me." Naruto finished.

* * *

**_And here we have the next little twist in my story. Tayuya is out of the woods for now, but Naruto is far from it! With Iwa on the move, how will things blow over for the son of the man the hate?!_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Well, I am thoroughly touched! 120 reviews, and I haven't even gotten to the juicey bits yet! Another huge thank you to all of you! Especially to those that are following!**_

_**8: A Day Before The Exams**_

* * *

Danzo was left fuming after the fiasco in the council room that morning. "Hn, if the Jinchuriki hadn't dispelled my Genjutsu, I may have been able to take that girl into ROOT." He mused aloud, "A loss, but not a serious loss. She may yet prove useful in controling the Jinchuriki. Tanuki?"

"Sir?" A masked ROOT memer said.

"Keep an eye on them for the time being, if the girl steps out of line, inform me at once," he said, "I want Namikaze on my side, whether he choses to join me, or I force him."

"Hai, and what shall we do about the visiting Kage?" Tanuki asked.

"Nothing," Danzo said, "Onoki is an old fool, and he feared the Yondaime, but I do not think he will be much of a problem."

xXx

Tayuya stretched her arms out above her head as she and Sakura walked out of the Hokage mansion after Tsunade had finished celebrating with them. The news that Iwa's Genin were participating in the Chunin exams had ruined her mood considerably. Naruto had left earlier to have a walk around town to clear out his head, leaving the red-head and pinkette on their own.

"Tayuya-san, be honest, what was it like traveling so long with Naruto?" Sakura asked curiously. The thought of being around the blonde knucklehead she used to know for that long actually kind of scared her.

Tayuya sighed as she thought back over it, "It was a fucking pain in the ass most of the time." Sakura giggled, seeing that her fears had been justified. "But other times I didn't think I'd be alive if it wasn't for Shithead-kun."

The pink-haired girl looked a little surprised at that, "Really? He does seem a little different, but I can still see the old Naruto in there."

Tayuya laughed, "If you mean the loudmouth he used to e then yeah, he's in there. But since I met him he's put on a lot of masks."

"Masks?"

"Fuck yeah, like hiding what he really wants to do or say," she said, thinking back, "Like today in the council room. I could tell that the civilians really pissed him off big time and he wanted to fucking slaughter each and everyone of them. But he didn't because he that's what they want."

Sakura looked down at her feet as the walked, "It's strange isn't it?"

"What?" Tayuya asked.

"That people call him such terrible things when they don't even know him, and he's just the opposite of what they say he is." She said, sadly, "You know my mom wanted me to quit as a shinobi once she found out he was one of my teammates?"

"Seriously?" Tayuya growled, "What did she think he was gonna fuckin' do? Eat you?"

Sakura giggled, "Probably!"

"Ah, fuck!" Tayuya yelled, startling a few villagers they passed, and making the pinkette sweat a little. "What the fucks up with people? I mean a kid gets a bad hand in life and it turns into a fucking brand on his face!"

"Tayuya!" Sakura cried, trying to calm the girl.

"Sorry, Pinky, but this is too much for me to stomach!" Tayuya went on, "I mean, he may be a moron, but Naruto's a great friend! He saved my ass more than once in some really tight spots, and still got the job done!"

Sakura blushed a little bit at hearing the Tayuya's ardent defense of the blonde Genin. She'd seen him do some incredible things, that was for sure. She smiled, "Yeah, he's a real hero in some places."

"No kidding," Tayuya said, "We went to the Land of Snow on our trip, and you should have seen the reception we got! It was like he was a fucking prince! And the way that damned princess hung around him? Ugh! I thought I was back with that pedo-teme!"

Sakura burst out laughing at the mention of the mission they'd taken back then. Naruto had made real fool out of himself at some points, but then again, his foolishness had won over a princess. She still had the photo she'd given to Sasuke for him. She made a mental not to show Tayuya some day.

"There was another mission that involved another kindgom, and that idiot actually hit the prince's son!" Sakura laughed, "You should have seen the look on his face when Kakashi-sensei tied him up!"

"He told me about that," Tayuya grinned, "And that crazy Lee guy! Apparently he still has a lump on his head from his own nunchaku!" Sakura laughed louder, being a witness to the lump in question. It always amazed her how tough Lee and Gai were, despite their...uniqueness.

xXx

"Saiga, come on, you don't really need me along do you?" Naruto groaned.

"Yes, I do," Saiga said with a straight face, "I have no desire to be molested in the street, Naruto-san." Naruto looked around them, and it was true that a few girls were following after them at a slow pace.

"Drop the honorific and call me Naruto like the rest of my friends, Saiga," Naruto grinned, "I'm not one for politeness, or respectful titles unless I have no choice!"

"That's fine with me," Saiga said, "After all those years in a dungeon, my manners aren't all that good either."

The two boys grinned at each other, causing a few of the pursuing girls to swoon, having never seen Saiga smile all that often.

"Isn't that Namikaze-sama with him?" One of the girls asked.

"The blonde one?" Said another, "I think so. My mother said that the new clan head was a blonde with blue eyes...and what blue eyes!" The girl sighed. Naruto's cerulean blue eyes normally had that effect on people.

"Go ask him!" A third girl urged.

"No, you ask him!" The first giggled.

All the while that the young ladies were discussing Naruto's new status, both boys had over heard them, and were not liking where this was going.

"Is this -"

"How it started?" Saiga groaned, "Yes, yes it is."

"Should we - ?"

"Run?" Saiga asked, starting to sweat a little as the girls started advancing on them, "Yes."

"Saiga-sama, Namikaze-sama!"

"Oh boy!" Naruto yelped, and lept off the ground and onto the roof tops with Saiga close behind him. The girls converged on the spot just under them. "Is it always like this?" Naruto asked with a deadpan expression.

"Worse." Saiga said.

"How's that?" Naruto asked.

"Kunoichi."

Naruto started sweating comically, "Oh no..."

"Look, there they are!" A feminine voice yelled. Both Naruto and Saiga looked to the right, and groaned as a fairly large group of young kunoichi was heading straight for them.

"Well this is bad," Naruto said, "I can avoid civilians all day, and even some ANBU, but an entire squad of kunoichi?"

"Welcome to my world," Saiga sighed, gettig to his feet, "Better get going if you want to keep your chastity intact."

"Right." With that both of them shot off the roof in different directions, effectively splitting the group of female shinobi.

xXx

"Are you fucking kidding?!" Tayuya laughed.

"No, it was a full liplock!" Sakura giggled, "Though, it was kinda my fault since I bumped the table."

"Oh, I'm gonna get a lot of mileage out of this!" Tayuya laughed, gripping her sides, "Poor, Shithead!"

"I felt bad for Sasuke, too." Sakura muttered, blushing a little, "I mean he was my childhood crush."

"Ha! I don't care, that's fucking hilarious!" Tayuya snorted, wiping a tear from her eye. "Just wait til I see him again!"

"Look out below!"

"Wha?" Both girls said, looking up.

Naruto came tumbling off of a roof top, and barely managed to get his feet back under him before he hit the ground. Too Tayuya the blonde looked more frazzled then he normally did after a long spar with Jiraiya. "What's up with you?"

Naruto looked up at her. "Oh...hey...Tayuya-chan!" He panted, "Saiga's fan girls found out who I was and - "

"Namikaze-sama, come back!"

"Oh no," Naruto groaned, getting back to his feet, then clapped his hands together in the ram seal, "_Henge_!" A puff of white smoke surrounded him, clearing to reveal a blonde girl with long pig tails. Tayuya felt her eye twitch. The girl he'd changed into had curves in all the right places, and everywhere _she_ didn't.

Not a minute later a large group of kunoichi and civilian girls came running/leaping onto the street. Naruto kept himself calm in his new form while the girls looked around for their lost target. One of the civilians came up to Naruto and asked, "Excuse me, but did you see Namikaze-sama come by here?"

Naruto smiled, "Why yes," he said in a soft feminine voice that had Tayuya gagging, "I do believe he was running toward the Forest of Death."

The girl paled, "But that's the most dangerous field in the village!"

"Yes, but I've heard he's been in there before." Naruto said, "So he should be fine."

"I'm not gonna let that stop me!" One of the kunoichi growled, "Come on girls, let's go get him!" For the kunoichi it was an easy choice, and the group ran in the direction of the forest. The civilians, however...

"I'm going home," one said.

"Me too." Said another, "That forest is full of monsters."

Thankfully for Naruto, the crowd soon dispersed. Naruto let out a sigh of relief and dropped the jutsu. "Thank Kami that's over!" He sighed and sank to the ground, "I'm never gonna doubt Saiga again!"

Tayuya blinked along with Sakura giving the blonde a confused expression, "Um, what the fuck was that about?"

Naruto groaned, looking up at the two girls, "That was the same thing Saiga goes through each day he takes a stroll."

Tayuya blinked again, then burst out laughing. Naruto glared at her. Sakura tried to hold it in, even biting her lip to keep herself in control, but the very thought of girls chasing Naruto around was just..._wrong_!

When the pinkette started up, Naruto harrumfed and picked himself up, "You can two can laugh all you want, but how am I supposed to deal with this? If they catch me, they'll rape me!"

"OH...SWEET...KAMI!" Tayuya howled, leaning on Sakura to keep her balance.

"That's too much!" Sakura giggled.

Naruto was about to say something until he heard an uproarious cackling laugh that could only be Kurama.

_Not you, too! _

_**Admit it!**_Kurama laughed, _**You'd laugh your ass off if this was the situation with Sasuke! I mean this is priceless! Three years ago you couldn't even get Sakura to look at you, and now you have half a village of vixens after the honor of being your bitch! Bahahahahaha! **_

_I have a sudden urge to desert the village. _Naruto deadpanned as he listened to the two girls and fox's laughter.

_xxxUnknown locationxxx_

"Leader-sama, you do realize that the Kyuubi no Jinchuriki will present while we go after the Ichibi?" Asked a raspy voice.

"And there's a chance one of Kumo's Jinchuriki could be there," said a blonde-haired man with a ponytail.

"That does not matter," said an almost mechanical voice, "At this time, we need only capture the Ichibi. Once you have him, we can focus on the others. However if the Nibi interferes, feel free to subdue it as well."

"And the Kyuubi?" Asked a darked-haired man.

"I will see to him myself when the time is right." Said the leader.

"What about Tobi? Tobi wants to help too!" A masked man yelled happily.

"Tobi," the raspy voice said, "You know you're not a full member yet."

"But Sasori-senpai! Tobi's a good boy, and always does what you ask!" Tobi sulked, "Tobi wants to be an Akatsuki!"

"Aw, come on, Leader-san," croaked a whispery voice, "Give the little guy a break?"

"Kisame, if you have such high hopes for him," said the leader, "Then why don't you partner with him, and find the location of the Sanbi?"

"Just find it?" Kisame asked, "That won't be a problem."

"YAY!" Tobi yelled loudly, making some of the figures wince, "Tobi gets to go!"

"Quiet you little runt!" Yelled another, "So help me I'll make you an offering to Jashin-sama!"

"No, no, no, Tobi is too quick for Hidan-senpai~!" Tobi said, and darted away.

xXx

"I still can't believe you deal with that on a daily basis," Naruto groaned while he and Saiga caught their breath at a little tea shop Sakura had suggested after the young Uchiha had finally managed to ditch his fan girls.

"Believe it," Saiga said, sipping his tea, "I had to deal with right as Tsunade-sama got through with my physical rehabilitation. Then when I had to do speacial training to become a Genin along side some of the Uzumaki clan members those dopey girls got in the way just because they wanted to see if I'd make a strong husband!"

Naruto chuckled, "Sounds like you can have your pick."

"As if!" Saiga snapped, "You really think I want a girl that just fatasizes about being part of a so-called elite shinobi clan?"

"I agree with Saiga-kun," Sakura said, grinning.

Naruto cast her a look, "Which one you wanna be, the pot or the kettle?"

Tayuya snickered while Saura blushed, "What's that supposed to mean?!" Sakura clenched her fist, ready to pummel the young blonde.

"Just what I said, Sakura," Naruto went on, ignoring the threat, "You and Ino chased after Sasuke so much that I thought he'd come to class one day half naked from being gang banged by his fan club."

"We weren't that bad," she said sheepishly, twiddling her thumbs.

"Uh-huh," Naruto smirked, "It wasn't until later when we teamed up that you two actually started to connect."

Sakura blushed brighter, "We d-d-did?"

"Sure, I mean beside me and Kakashi-sensei, you were the closest to him." Naruto grinned.

"Ugh, come on, Pinky!" Tayuya growled around mouth full of dango, "Couldn't you pick some other guy?"

Sakura huffed, "Trust me, I tried!"

"Really?" Naruto asked, "Then I suppose he'll be left along after we get him back, huh?"

"No, I'm not so sure about that." Sakura sighed, "I said I tried, Naruto, but whenever I dated someone else, it just didn't feel right. I even dated Lee a few times." She admitted in slight embarrassment.

Naruto's eyes widened, "Wow. I always thought Lee wore you out?"

"How wore out?" Tayuya grinned. Sakura glared at her, "Not like that!"

"He meant that Rock Lee, a.k.a the Leaf's Handsome Devil," Saiga sighed, "Is so full of energy that he would probably make Tsunade-sama pass out in a simple foot race."

"Saiga?" A soft voice called, "Is that you?"

"Oh," Saiga sat up, "Ohayou, Ushio-chan!"

Naruto and the girls leaned out from their seats as a red haired girl stepped into the shop. It was clear that this was no doubt one of the Uzumaki clan that Naruto and Tayuya had helped rescue from the shade of her hair. And if that wasn't enough, she wore the orange Uzumaki symbol on both shoulders of her kimono.

She looked a little young than the four of them, and had teal green eyes a little lighter than Sakura's, which lit up when she spotted Naruto. "Itoko! I didn't know you'd come back to the village!"

Naruto looked a little confused as the girl came to take a seat opposite of him, "So..we're cousins?"

Ushio nodded, "Yes, my mother was your mother's third cousin." She looked over at Tayuya, "I'm glad you two are still getting along so well."

"Why the hell wouldn't we?" Tayuya asked.

"Well..." Ushio sweated, "The last time we met you two seemed a little..."

"Aggravated?" Naruto smirked, to which Ushio nodded, "That's normal with us."

"Fuck yeah," Tayuya grinned, "Besides that, I had a buncha brats hangin' off of me."

Ushio grinned, "So you two are still a couple?"

"Couple?!" Naruto and Tayuya yelled.

Sakura and Saiga sputtered, or snorted into their tea in Saiga's case, and started laughing at the two.

"What the hell're you laughin' at!" Again, they spoke in unison, causing further laughter.

"Saiga-sama!" Saiga stiffened, going pale, "Oh, no, not again!"

"Namikaze-sama!" Naruto groaned, "Speaking of aggravation!" He brought his hands up and preformed the _Henge_ once again. Ushio blushed. The blonde girl he'd transformed into had larger breasts than she did. Tayuya had a sudden urge to shout out where Naruto actually was.

"I've got to learn how to do that!" Saiga snapped, and hopped behind the counter to duck down and hide.

"You mean you can't do a proper Henge?" Naruto asked in his female voice.

"Never was any good at it." Saiga hissed from his hiding spot.

Ushio nearly giggle. Saiga was terrible with the Henge! She'd once seen him try to change into an ANBU once, and nearly died laughing then when he produce a fat, ugly replica in a tanuki mask. But she fell silent as a smaller group of girl peeked into the shop. Naruto smiled and waved at them. They sighed in disappointment from not finding their targets and slunk away.

Sakura got up and watched them go, "All clear, boys."

"Thank," poof, "goodness!" Naruto sighed.

"See how it feels?" Saiga asked, popping up from the counter.

Tayuya giggled, "Well, look at it this way, Shithead-kun, once they see how you eat, they won't ever bother you again!"

Naruto glared at her, "This coming from the girl that burns water?"

"So I can't fucking cook, big deal!" She snapped.

Ushio sighed, blushing, "It must be nice being in love."

"What's love got to do with this?" Both of them asked.

xXx

The day finally wore Naruto and Tayuya out so much that they retreated home for th afternoon. Naruto stepped into the study to fiddle with a new Fuinjutsu he was working on while Tayuya decided she wanted to relax a bit, and headed for the onsen.

She took and towel from the bathroom, and few clothes she'd yet to wear, and eagerly walked out into the yard to the steaming house. They'd discover that the small bathhouse was built quite professionally, even having a small dressing room to keep their clothes while they bathed. While she undressed, her new Konoha hitai-ate tumbled out of her pocket.

She bent to pick it up, looking at herself in the reflection. Her face was dakrer now, but still naturally pale, and she had a healthy glow in her cheeks thanks to a proper diet. "Hmph," she stuck her tongue out at the mirror image and set it in a basket along with her fresh clothing.

"Like anyone would think I'm pretty," she grumbled. She plucked her cap off and tugged her shirt over her head and tossed them down, reaching back around to unclasp her bra, "All those girls chasing Shitead around melons for fucking tits!" The small scrap of lace slid down her shoulders. She shivered, feeling a sharp pang of jealousy.

"This is so stupid." She said, "Why am I feeling like this?" She looked down at her self. Truthfully she'd had a decent few years added onto her body, but she was still unsatisfied with her developement. Her stomach was now very well-toned, and her arms, though they never lost their slenderness, were now strnog bands of steel thanks to all of Jiraiya's training. Each shoulder now had a _Jixyuuryoku_ seal on them, making her body heavier and hard to move, depending on how much Chakra she focused on them. Her legs were the same, slender, yet powerful leading up to a set of finely curved hips that she was somewhat proud of. Her chest, however...

"Fucking A-cups," she moaned, tearing up. "All this time, and I'm still _small_..."

xXx

Naruto groaned angrily, "This seal is going to take a lot of Chakra."

_**Fuinjutsu of this level usually does, Kit.**_Kurama said, sighing in defeat, _**It'll work for what you have planned, but you'll have to use my Chakra to preform the Jutsu.** _

"I know, and that's the problem," Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose, "No offense, kurama, but I'd rather not break the seal."

_**I know, and none taken. Bah, if you had the key to the seal, then I could freely give you my Chakra without having to worry! Next time you see that pervert of a sennin, ask him again why he won't give it to us!**_

"I hate to say it," Naruto said, "But he probably still doesn't trust you enough to even consider that."

_**Great, then we'll just have to let him re-work the seal a little so that it won't break in the near future. Even I don't know how much Chakra is going to be need for this Jutsu.**_

"Well," Naruto grinned, looking down at his hand and his handy work, "It _is_ supposed to draw in a Biju."

* * *

_**Well, this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I thought this was a good place to end it before my Inner Ero-sennin took over :p For those of you who might wonder jixyuuryoku means gravity, so sorry for any confusion. Anyway, this was a basically a small filler chapter until the next chapter when the new Chunin exams start up.**_

_**Now, kiddies, a question. We all know that the Chunin exams are for a three-person team, so who should the third person be? Here's what I came up with, but I can't decide :p**_

_**Hyuga(branch member)**_

_**Saiga(Yes, he's still a Genin -_-)**_

_**One of the Uzumaki clan ( Can be male or female)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Well, the vote is in and we'll be seeing a new team member for a our little couple-in-the-making. Let's get this show on the road and away we go~!**_

_**9: Into the Forest **_

* * *

Naruto woke to someone shaking his shoulder, looking up to see Tayuya standing over him in a purple kimono top and her usual black shorts. "Wah?" He said sleepily.

Tayuya smirked, "Come on, you can't sleep here." She looped her arms under his left one and hauled him up. Naruto rose to his feet, swaying slightly as his leep fogged mind tried to catch up with the situation.

"Tayu-chan?"

Tayuya giggled, "Wow, you're really out of it, ne?" She helped him stumble down the hall as he tried to walk. Their room wasn't far from the study. "We need to get rested up for the Chunin exams, remember?"

"Yeah~," he yawned, "Ibiki's stupid test."

"That's right," Tayuya said, sliding the door to their room open, "We have to meet Tsunade-san tomorrow to talk about our new teammate."

"Sleeeepy," Naruto moaned. Tayuya rolled her eyes, dragging him over to his bed. He was already snoring by the time she made it to the edge. Being smaller than he was, his weight and size unbalanced her as she tried set him down. The result was her feet slipping, and getting tangled with his, and both of them tumbling to the bed, with Tayuya getting the wind knocked out of her as the blonde landed on top of her.

"Gah, Naruto, you're heavy!" Tayuya growled, prodding him, "Oi, wake up!" She tried to wriggle out from under him. "I know you can hear me! Get off me!" The only response she got was a soft snore from him.

"Fuckin' perfect."

xXx

Tsunade looked at the boy in front of her, then down at the file that she'd made of him. He was no the skinny, malnourished boy he'd been three years ago. His hair was long and shaggy, unkept like most Uchiha would keep their hair. He had the black eyes that all Uchiha had, but they were full of many things that she never saw in the eyes of Fugaku or his son Sasuke. No, this boy's eyes were filled with a strength she'd never seen in any Uchiha. Hope.

"You understand why I'm a little sketical about assigning you to their new team?" She asked, looking over the boy's figure, "You've grown well these past years, and filled out nicely, but you still need some time to recover."

"I know, Tsunade-sama, but I'd like this chance," Saiga said, smiling, "My body's stronger now, and I've still got my training under Orochimaru to use."

"That's what concerns me the most," she said, "His teaching methods are dangerous, sick, and downright disgusting!"

"He taught me Ninjutsu and Taijutsu skills." Saiga assured her, "When he found out that my Sharingan wouldn't activate, he stopped teaching me and lost interest in me."

"I can understand that," she said, "He's wanted the Sharingan for as long as he'd been researching it. Saiga, what I want to know is; can you fight with them?"

Saiga smiled, "You know what I've been through. The drugs are out of my system now, and my body may not be as strong as it should be, but I can fight."

"Saiga that's not what I mean," she said, "for the last three years, despite the female population's attempts," he grimaced at that, "You've barely spoken to anyone. Where are you're friends? The people you trust?"

"I have friends," he muttered, looking away from her.

"Saiga, one person does not count," Tsunade sighed, "Ushio-chan is a sweet girl, and I'm sure that she's helped you in some ways, but you need to come out of your shell more."

Saiga lookd down at his feet, a little worried that he wouldn't get the chance to help the two people that had rescued him. Tsunade saw his defeated look, and noticed that he actually resembled a young Madara Uchiha, smiling at the fact that the young man couldn't e any different than the long dead Uchiha. "This is one of the reasons I'm putting you with Naruto and Tayuya."

Saiga perked up on hearing this. "You mean I can try?"

"Yes, you will." She said, grimacing, "Besides, the civilian council, even though they know that the chances of activating your Doujutsu is a slim chance, think that the experience of the exams will be just the push you need."

Saiga ground his teeth, "I don't care about that! The Sharingan was the down fall of my clan!"

"No, Saiga, it was their pride and arrogance that destroyed them." Tsunade said, smiling at the boy, "Something that I don't see in you."

Saiga smiled, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

xXx

Naruto stretched himself awake, feeling better than he had in ages. He was warm and he was comfortable. Which made it hard for him to open his eyes against the rays of sunlight that were streaming through the window. As his eyes opened they were met with a blob of red that he didn't recognize right away, but his whole body went rigid as the body that belonged to said blob of red snuggled closer to him, burying her head in his chest.

_Oh, shit, _Naruto thought.

**_You said it,_ **Kurama chuckled, _**Want to know the bad part? There's no way out of this, even if you don't wake her up, where you'll come out of this without a good beating!**_

_What the hell are you talking about?! _Naruto growled mentally. How was this his fault? She was the one that normally crawled into his bed at times, while he stayed in his bed...all...night... _How did I get into bed?! _

_**There you go,** _Kurama said, nodding his head sagely, **_You fell asleep at your desk last night after working on a seal, and Tayuya came to check on you. So she tried to get you to bed, but ended up tripping and you landed on top of her. _**

_Oh no, _Naruto moaned, gritting his teeth.

**_Ooooh, yes!_**His tenant cackled, **_And have you noticed that it's the back of her head she's pressing against her chest? _**

_What the hell has that got to do with - ?_

_**Have you noticed where your hand is, Kit?**_Kurama grinned widely as Naruto blushed tomato red as he realized his right hand was sandwiched between Tayuya's-

"Mm," she moaned when his hand clutched involuntarily, making the boy shake in fear.

_**Now's you chance, Kit! Claim your mate!** _The fox laughed loudly. **_Go for the neck! I've always heard that was a particularly sensitive area on females!_**

_Could you shut up! _In truth, Naruto was having a hard time control himself from leaping out of bed and making a run for it before Tayuya woke up and got her hands on him. But his inner pervert was enjoying every second of the situation.

Suddenly the girl shifted and rolled over to face him. Naruto took the chance to slide out of her grasp and out of bed. She moaned at the loss of warmth and reached for him, but he kept himself just out of her reach.

_**Well**,_ Kurama huffed, _**That was a total waste of a perfect opportunity! **_

_You do realize that she's like a sister to me, right? _Naruto snapped as he slipped out of the room and down the hall to make breakfast. He felt Kurama sigh inside his seal. _**Kit, you've got s**__**o much to learn!** _

xXx

Tayuya's nose twitched when she smelled something that made her mouth water. She opened her eyes, blinking away the blurriness in them and sat up, letting the light blanket fall off of her. She looked ovr to the side, looking for Naruto and saw her own bed. She blinked a couple of times then her face turned beet red as she rememered what had happened.

"Oh, Kami...he saw me...when he...woke up!" Tayuya stammered, clutching at her face in embarrassment. "Shit!" She knew that he was never going to let her live this down!

"Tayuya-chan?" Naruto called from the door.

"Eep!" Tayuya brought the blanket up to her chin. Naruto stood there looking a little embarrassed himself, scratching the back of his head and looking away from her.

"Breakfast is ready," he said somberly, "I made your favorite, miso soup and grilled fish."

Tayuya looked at little surprised, it was a normal breakfast by anyone's standards, but he only made for her when he was trying to butter her up or...apologize?

"Um, thanks," she slid out of bed, not looking up, "A-about last night..."

"I'm sorry."

She looked up, "What?"

Naurto blushed a little, "Kurama told me what you tried to do, and what happened because I wouldn't wake up. I'm sorry for that."

"Well...I-I was the one that tried to put you to bed," she said, trying not to stutter, "Besides, you were working hard on something, right?"

"Yeah," he smirked, "Come on, we should eat before it gets cold."

"Great!" She smiled, "I had really fucked up dream, though."

"Bout what?" Naruto asked as they walked back down the hall.

Tayuya shivered, "Someone was massaging me." She blushed. "It felt so fucking good I thought it was real!"

The blonde turned pale. "Ah I...about that..."

_**Uh-oh.** _Kurama chuckled.

xXx

Tsunade was just about to send an ANBU out to retrieve Naruto and Tayuya when she heard a somewhat familiar scream that reminded her of Jiraiya when she'd first caught him peeping on her.

A vein popped up on her head, "That old pervert must be at the bathhouse _again_!"

xXx

To anyone whom expected a normal morning in the village, that idea was shattered when a certain blonde shinobi ran screaming from his home with an irate red-head right behind him, aiming a kunai right at his fleeing ass.

"I said I was sorry!" Naruto yelled as he ran.

"Not this fucking time!" Tayuya howled behind him, "You fucking perv! I'm gonna fucking castrate you, and shove your nuts right down your throat!"

"_Nooo_!" Wailed Naruto, and the blonde poured on the speed.

"Get back here, Shithead!" Tayuya screeched, and hurled her kunai, narrowly missing the fortunate Genin. Unfortunately, said kunai sailed past him, and sliced right through a stick of dango just as Anko was coming out of the shop. Anko went blue in the face when she found her favorite treat lying on the ground while she still clutched half of the stick. She saw the offending assailant embedded in the doorway by her head, then caught sight of the fleeing blonde as he raced past her at speeds that would make an ANBU jealous.

"Hi, Anko, bye Anko!" Naruto gasped as he ran by.

"Naruto, what the fuck - ?" Anko started angrily until a whilrwind of red and purple shot by her in pursuit of the young Genin.

"Come back her you fucking perv!" Tayuya yelled.

" - is going on?" Anko finished in a slight daze. Then she heard a snickering from above her, looking up to see a familiar masked ANBU gazing after the pair.

"You have to admit, Anko-chan," Inu said, "Things have been kinda dull without him around, ne?"

"Kakashi," Anko said sweetly, making the masked shinobi sweatdrop.

"Y-yeah?" He asked.

"_YOU OWE ME AN ORDER OF DANGO_!"

"Ah..." Kakashi had seen Anko in action when it came to dango. On her own ryo, she could go for ten sticks, but when someone else was paying... "I have a meeting with Tsunade-sama regarding the Chunin exams. Maybe later?" He shushined away.

Anko pouted, "Coward."

_Fifteen minutes of chaos later_...

"So that was you I heard this morning?" Tsunade growled under her breath as she took in the state of the two Genin and Jonin in front of her. Naruto, to his relief, was still a healthy male, despite Tayuya's threat, but she had taken a fair bit frustration out on him. His shinobi vest would need mending in places, and he now sported a puffed up right cheek, as well as a brilliant black eye on the left.

Tayuya, of course, was fine, though her clothes were slightly out of place thanks to a little scuffle she'd had with one dog-masked ANBU, who had lost half of his mask, revealing his silver hair and mask that obscured the lower half of his face.

The one-eyed Jonin looked more harassed than anything as he too sported a black eye, though his was covered by his hitai-ate.

"One day," the Hokage spoke, "Barley one full day back in the village, Naruto, and you've caused no end of trouble!"

"I accept full responsibility," he bowed low at the hips, "This mess was entirely my fault." This surprised her a little. Normally the young knucklehead would be rambling on and on aout how it wasn't his fault. Which made her wonder just what in hell's name had happened?

Tayuya looked shocked herself. _But I attacked him, _she thought guiltily, "Uh, it was partially my fault as well, Tsunade-san." Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her.

"Explain."

Both of them blushed, and neither one of them said anything.

"I take it this was a _domestic_ dispute?" Kakashi asked, eye-smiling at them when they nodded. "Naruto, we're both happy to have you back in the village, but please keep the lover's quarrels at home."

"It wasn't a lover's quarrel!" Both teens shouted.

Tsunade and Kakashi both smiled. The two resembled Minato and Kushina so much it was frightening!

"Anyway," she said, "Down to business. The written exams start this afternoon, and you still need a third teammate."

"Yeah, but who?" Naruto asked, his black eye now gone thanks to Kurama, though the wily old fox was not about to let him forget the little beating he'd taken, "Sakura?"

"Naruto," Kakashi sighed, "No one except you is still a Genin from the rookie nine."

"Geh," Naruto blanched, "Even Bushy-brow?"

"He passed last year," Tsunade said, laughing as the blonde fell to the floor comically.

"Then who?" Tayuya asked, ignoring her friend's antics.

Tsunade smiled, "You can come in now."

Naruto looked up from where he was weeping and turned to the door. Tayuya turned as well, hoping for a decent partner. But the young man that walked in surprised them both.

"Morning you two!" Saiga smiled.

"Saiga!" Naruto grinned.

"You're the new team member?" Tayuya smirked, arching her eyebrow.

"Now that hurts," the young Uchiha said, feigning injury, "I thought you'd be happy to have me on the team!"

"We are," Naruto said happily, "She's just being a - "

"A what?" Tayuya asked, crossing her arms and giving the blonde a look.

"Eh...nothing." He said, not wanting another black eye, or worse.

"That's what I thought." She smirked.

_**Hehe, you two never cease to amuse me.**_Kurama chuckled, making Naruto groan.

"Well," Tsunade smiled happily, "I already have the documents for the new team written up, so you three need to get over to the academy so you can take the test this afternoon, but it won't hurt to get there early."

"Agreed," Kakashi said, "It'll give you three time to get to know each other better before the second exam."

"Sure, Kakshi-sensei," Naruto smiled, "Maybe we can catch up later over a bowl of ramen?"

"Sounds good," said the one-eyed Jonin, looking over the three Genin, "I'd like to here about your training trip when you have the time."

"Why?" Tayuya asked, "It was mainly Shithead-kun being a moron."

"Oi!" Naruto growled, much to Kakashi's amusement. He'd walked right into it, as always.

xXx

"That was unexpected," Saiga muttered hours later as they walked toward their next destination, "Does Anko-san always make an entrance like that?"

"No, the _single_ on the banner was new," Naruto said, "But it could have been worse. At least she didn't cut me again."

"Again?" Saiga's eye widened.

"Fuck yeah," Tayuya shivered, "When I first met that crazy bitch, she threw a tooth pick at him and sliced his cheek, then she grabbed hold of him so she could lick the blood off!"

"Blech," Saiga shivered, "And I thought Kabuto was weird."

"He is," Naruto and Tayuya chorused.

xXx

Naruto found it a little nostalgic to be standing in front of the gates again. The forest seemed to be thicker than it had been all those years ago, but then it had been three years. Tayuya looked a little uneasy. To her, the forest seemed more dangerous than any predator she had come across.

Saiga's attention, however, was not on the looming forest. It was on three other teams that were giving his blonde companion far too much attention. "Naruto, I think we're going to have trouble when we get in there."

"You mean those three Iwa squads?" Naruto whispered, catching Tayuya's attention. Saiga nodded. "Don't worry about them for now. We'll need to get ahead of them and keep watch in case they decide to take a shot at us."

"Oi, Shithead-kun, don't even fucking think about it." Tayuya growled, "You're not pulling that stunt again!"

Naruto looked down at her, "It may be the only chance we have for you to cast a Genjutsu over them, or for any of us to take them down."

Saiga was lost, "What are you two talking about?"

Tayuya kept her glare on the blonde, "He's fucking planning to use himself as bait!"

"What?!" Saiga hissed, "No way, Naruto, I don't care how strong you are, there nine of them!"

"So?" Naruto gave a foxy grin, "With my _Kage Bushins_, I'm a one man army if I need it."

"They are Iwa nins!" Tayuya scowled, "You're at a huge disadvantage!"

Saiga narrowed his eyes, "He's a Futon user?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "Yup, it's my best Jutsu besides my Bushins."

Saiga thought for a moment, "I can't handle them if it comes to a fight. During my rehabilitation, Kakshi-sensei helped me learn a few Raiton jutsu. That should help us if they come after you."

"That's something," Tayuya said, "If I can get them with my Genjutsu, they're all dead for sure."

"Alright, gakis," Anko yelled, "Behind the screen and get your scrolls!"

Naruto and his new team stepped up. When their turn came, they were given a Heaven scroll, which he gave to Tayuya to keep.

"Why the fuck do I have to hold it?" She snapped.

"Because," Naruto said in a low voice, "If Iwa does come after me, I'd rather not be the one holding the scroll!"

"I'm not gonna let those Rockheads get anywhere near you!" She yelled, getting right up in his face, "Tell me, how is it right to hate someone for what their dad did?"

Saiga growled, "The same reason that people can blame someone for what they carry inside them." Naruto sighed, knowing that he was referring to all Jinchuriki.

"You'll be going to gate six," said the Chunin that had passed them the scroll. "Wait there for Anko-san's signal." Naruto nodded.

Taking the role as the team leader, Naruto led them toward the gate. He noticed that the three Iwa teams kept their eyes trained on him, giving him death glares all the while. Naruto did the only thing that came to mind; he smiled and waved at them cheerfully. Each team was a standard set, composing of two male and one female. The effect he had on the boys in the team was less than desired. All six of them growled around their teeth. The girls were a different story as each one of them blushed and refused to look at him.

Saiga snickered, "You little devil." He elbowed him in the ribs lightly. "Trying to find yourself a girl to _rock_ your world?" Tayuya felt her eye twitch.

"No flirting with the enemy!" She hissed at them.

"I'm not flirting," Saiga smirked, "Naruto is."

"Am not!" Naruto snapped, blushing.

**_Oh, I don't know, Kit._**Kurama laughed, _**I can smell that one of them definitely had a thing for you. **_

_Not helping! _They reached their gate and waited.

Tayuya listened to the sounds coming from behind the gate nervously. "What can we expect in there?"

Naruto looked down at her, giving her a bump with his shoulder, "Anything and everything, Tayuya-chan. There are snakes in there almost as big as summons. And a lot more."

Saiga gulped, "Not sure I like the sound of that."

A horn blared and the gates opened wide.

"Let's go!" Naruto shouted, and ran inside the gate with his two friends close behind him. "Tayuya-chan, you take middle, Saiga, take the rear guard!"

"Right!" Both said.

They took to the trees, leaping from one huge brach to the next. Naruto kept his eyes and ears open as the wind whipped by them. He could already here screams coming from all around him. The Chunin exams had really started now.

"What's the plan?" Tayuya asked, coming up beside him.

"For now?" Naruto said, "First we need to find a place and hunker down so we can think things through. We have not only Iwa, Suna and Kumo to worry about, now. Some Konoha nins wouldn't think twice about taking us on to get a scroll."

"He's right," Saiga said from the rear, "The last three years have been brutal for the Chunin exams. Iwa in particular. Ever since we came to the village and Danzo-sama announced the rebirth of your clan, Iwa has been either baying for blood, or trying to force a political marriage with your clan!"

"What!" Naruto unfortunately was so shocked at this bit of news that he failed to watch where he was going, and slammed headlong into a large branch. He went tumbling to the ground as Saiga and Tayuya dropped after him.

"Was that so surprising?" Saiga asked, looking down at his fallen friend.

"I think I wanna go back to being an Uzumaki," groaned Naruto, his eyes spinning dizzily.

Tayuya didn't think it was funny either, remembering how two of the Iwa girls had looked at her friend, making her a little sick to her stomach. She cracked her knuckles loudly, "Looks like I get to let loose on some Iwa bitches!" The two boys shrunk away from her in slight fear.

Naruto hopped to his feet, then knelt back down to send some of his Chakra into the soil. Immediately his senses were flooded with Chakra signatures. Many were already far ahead of them, already clustered together in battle. What caught his attention was three small individual signatures that had broken off from the fray, and were circling back around...behind them!

Naruto snapped his eyes open and looked up at his teammates. "We've got trouble!" He said, looking at them both, "It looks like a team's heading this way."

"So what will we do?" Saiga asked, "Fight them and search for the scroll we need?"

"Moron," Tayuya growled, "That'll attract too much fucking attention. We need to ambush them!"

Naruto thought for a moment, "Alright, Tayuya-chan we'll go with your plan. When the get close enough, place them under a sleeping Genjutsu. I don't want any death's on our hands with Onoki coming around for the exams."

He turned to Saiga, "I'd like you to be my back up. If it comes to a fight, I want you right there with me. Tayuya, if you get another chance don't hesitate to hit them with a more powerful Jutsu, just try not to catch us in it."

"Just plug your ears when you hear me start up," she smiled, "or you'll be under the impression of getting ass-fucked by Orochimaru."

Saiga paled along with Naruto, "You wouldn't really - ?"

"That's the worst thing I can think of for a low-lever Genjutsu." She smiled sweetly, "Now let's get this party started!"

* * *

_**And cut! With a little craziness in the mix, the Chunin exams are off to a rocky start with Naruto and his team expecting an attack from an unknown team! **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hoohoo, I know that comment Tayuya made at the end of the last chapter was a little...wrong, but seeing as she hasn't met The Green Beast, yet, how could I pass that up? HAA! **_

_**10: The Battle**_

* * *

Three older Genin darted through the trees in search of the team their tracker had detected. Naruto watched their movements from a well hidden spot under the roots of a massive tree. Their attire gave them away. Kumo cloud shinobi. Across from him, Tayuya was watching the trio like a falcon eyeing a mouse. Saiga was hiding directly beneath them, covered by a shroud made to look like the ground and fallen leaves around him.

One of them jumped down not three feet from the young Uchiha, who tried to keep his breathing as low as possible. Kumogakure shinobi were dangerously strong concerning Raiton, which put him on equal grounds with them if he could get off a shot at one, but if things played out right, there wouldn't be a fight. He cast a glance over at the red-haired kunoichi in the trees with her flute at her lips, ready to cast her Genjutsu.

Naruto kept himself still as the other two shinobi lept down to join their companion. All three were large in stature, probably veterans from the previous exams. They would be trouble if they fought. Tayuya was thinking the same thing as she watched them. She was not a sensory type, but she could tell that these three were far above her and Saiga in Chakra. Naruto, she knew, had them all beat by a proverbial landslide.

Saiga was getting antsier by the second. The former most Kumo nin was drawing closer to his hiding spot!

Tayuya caught a movement from Naruto, nodding his head toward her. Tayuya grinned, and began to play.

The moment Saiga heard the tune starting to play, he knew to plug his ears tightly, and crushed his eyes shut, hoping he wouldn't be caught in the Genjutsu. But he was not so lucky. His blacked sight was suddenly assaulted with his least favorite color; red.

Naruto immediately knew there was something wrong when Saiga didn't move as the Kumo nin went down. He looked up at Tayuya, being out of the Genjutsu's range. "Are they done?"

Tayuya stopped playing, grinning widely, "Serve'em up!"

Naruto wasted no time and darted toward his teammate. Saiga wasn't moving at all as Naruto uncovered him. "Damn, he was caught!" Naruto swore, "Tayuya-chan, get down here. Saiga was caught in the Jutsu!"

"Fuck!" Tayuya yelled, and lept down. "That was a fear inducing Jutsu! Wake him up!"

"Right!" Naruto said, remembering a training session with Jiraiya, and started channeling Chakra into his friend. "Come on, Saiga, wake up. We haven't got much time!"

"I'll check these fuckers out for the scroll," Tayuya said, hurrying over to the prone figures, "You know this would be easier if you'd let me kill them?"

"Not unless it's necessary," Naruto chuckled as Saiga started to come around, "Ah, there he is!"

"Ugh," the boy groaned, clutching at his head, "What the hell hit me?"

"Tayuya-chan," Naruto smiled, jerking his thumb at the red-head, who growled at him, "Guess the Genjutsu was too string since you were right in the middle of the fray. Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Saiga said, looking pale, "I chose the hiding spot myself. Do they have the Earth scroll?"

"Fuck no!" Tayuya snapped, "It's a fucking Heaven scroll like ours!"

Naruto sighed, "Then we'd better make track before they wake up." He slung the Uchiha's arm over his shoulder and helped him stand, "Think you can make it?"

"Hell yeah!" Saiga laughed, "It'll take more than a Genjutsu to put me under!"

"Ehm," Tayuya coughed, "Remember that _particular_ Genjutsu I said I could cast, boys?"

Both boys knew what she was talking about, and neither one wanted to experience _that_ nightmare. "We should get going." Naruto said, letting Saiga stand. He looked over at the Kumo shinobi, "They should be fine here."

xXx

"And you're sure thay Onoki-sama doesn't plan to do anything?" Tsunade asked.

"Quite sure," Jiriaya said, nodding, "Why do you think I took off for the last day? No, he respected Minato more than he feared him and counted him as a rival. But that's where it ends." He let out a sigh, looking out over the village. "He has three squads in the exams this year, and I'm sure there's one or two glory hounds in all three of them looking to make a name for themselves."

Tsunade groaned, "We still have a month before the final round of the Chunin exams, maybe when he arrives, his Genin will behave themselves."

"I wouldn't count on it," the old toad sage said, then grinned, "Don't worry, Hime-chan," she growled at the nickname, "Those two gakis of mine can take care of themselves. Tayuya alone is enough to take on a full three man squad if she has to."

"And Naruto?" She asked, "You know I worry for him like my own?"

"So do I, but he's not the little knucklehead we used to know." Jiraiya said, smiling widely, "Though he's still a bit of a knucklehead, he's a veteran shinobi now. He could give his father a run for his money!"

xXx

"Anything?" Tayuya asked.

Naruto looked up at her from where he was kneeling. "Not for a few miles." He said, smiling, "We're safe here for now." Saiga sank to the ground, a little exhausted from the long trek into the forest, and grateful for the chance to rest.

"Too bad we couldn't use the scroll that Kumo squad had," he sighed, "Then we could have gone right for the tower."

"We'll get there," Naruto said, reaching for a scroll, "Come on, we'd better eat while we can." Rolling the scroll out, he unsealed a few bentos he'd prepared that morning. He passed one to Saiga, "We can't be caught while we're weak."

Saiga nodded and took the box from him, "Thanks, I'm, still getting used to large meals."

"We missed a lot," Tayuya growled, accepting her own meal, "Orochimaru practically starved us."

"Eat," Naruto said, talking around a mouth full, "No need to bring up sour memories."

Saiga smiled at him, "You're right." He started eating, "Tell me, what was your training mission like?"

Naruto looked up, "Well, at first I was supposed to find a way to control Kurama's Chakra."

"That's the fox's name, right?" Saiga asked.

"Right," Tayuya grinned, "That fox can be fun when he's torturing Shithead-kun!"

_**Told you she had a good sense of humor!**_Kurama snickered, but Naruto ignored him. "But after a few days, we found out from him that the seal was weakening badly, and fast because I was using his Chakra too much. I can use it to an extent, but if I went so far as to start taking on the Nine-tail's Cloak, then the seal would start weakening again."

Saiga thought for a moment, "So you can never fully tap into his power?"

_**Not without breaking the seal.** _Kurama said dejectedly, which Naruto relayed to this team.

"That doesn't sound like it would be good." Tayuya glowered, "What happens if the seal breaks? You never told me."

Naruto looked at her and sighed, "When a Biju is set loose or extracted from their host, the host body is almost completely torn apart by the strain on the Chakra coils. When the extraction is complete..."

"They die." Saiga finished.

Tayuya did not like that at all. She kept her eyes on Naruto, his cerulean eyes growing dark as he thought. "H-how is the seal?"

"It'll hold," he said, "So long as I don't use the cloak." He turned and smiled at her. "Worried about me, _Tayu-chan_?" She ground her teeth as tick marks popped up all over.

"Tayuya-chan I'll take, but Tayu-chan I won't!" She reached over and grabbed his cheek and gave it a harsh twist.

"_Itetetete_!"

Saiga threw back his head and laughed at the pair's antics. _How are those two not a couple? _He thought,_ It's almost like they're married! _

Later, when the team bedded down, and Naruto was taking the first watch, the young blonde felt a familiar pull, and found himself in an exact copy of the Forest of Death. Except for one detail.

_**Good to see you again, Kit.** _Kurama smiled at him. **_It's been some time since we spoke face to face like this._**Naruto, however, started to panic. "Wait, wait, wait! I can't be in here right now, I'm on watch!" Naruto yelled frantically.

The giant fox chuckled, _**Relax, Kit, even if you're in here with me, I can still keep an eye out for danger. Remember I can sense things that are further off than you can.** _

Naruto sighed, "I guess you're right," he said, "but don't keep me for too long. I don't want Tayuya-chan yelling at me again!"

_**You know you like your little spats.**_Kurama said, _**And that's part of the reason I called you in here, Kit. I want to know when you'll tell her about the coming spring.** _

"Why should I do that?" Naruto asked, scratching his head, "I just need to stay locked up for th whole day and keep her out of the house, right? How hard could that be?"

_**Harder than you think.** _Kurama said, shaking his massive head. _**Besides that pink vixen, Tayuya is the only female you're close to. You may lose yourself to the intensity of the Chakra spike, and seek her out. What then, hm?** _

"I wouldn't do that!" Naruto growled, "She's important to me!"

**_I should hope so, Kit. Remember all the times you nearly got yourself killed to save her on our travels? I remember the Land of Iron quite well. Those Ronin Samurai nearly cut you two pieces when you tried to get her away from them._ **

"That wasn't my fault!" Naruto grumbled, "They ambushed us!"

_**And they also paid the price for that little stunt by your wrath.** _Kurama nodded, **_But admit it, Kit, when it comes to her, you've put yourself in twice as much danger as you did for Sakura. Can you seriously deny that?_**

Naruto blushed, "She's...she's like my family, Kurama, just like Ero-senin is. What more do you want?"

_**In all honesty? I'd like you to be happy for once in your life.** _Kurama rose to his feet, **_Look, little one, you've never felt what it's like to have a mate. I can tell you that being with one is like finding the other piece of yourself that you felt was missing._**

Naruto gave the fox a questioning look, "You've felt like that before?" The fox nodded sadly. _**Long ago, before the world knew of my kind, I had a mate of my own.**_He looked off into the forest. **_She was a normal fox spirit like any other. But to me she was strong and beautiful._ **

"_Was_, Kurama?" Naruto muttered, "What happened?"

Kurama looked down at him, _**The world happened to us, Kit. Shukaku was the first to be sealed. And the rest of my brothers and sisters. I was the last, but that does not mean I went quietly!**_A fiery Chakra erupted around the fox. _**When I was first discovered. It was Madara Uchiha that sought me out for the sake of power. What he didn't count on was me not being alone. My mate and I fought him when he tried to drive us apart.** _Kurama's face took on a sad tone. **_But like all Biju, I am immortal, and undying. My sweet Sakuya, like normal Kitsune, could die._ **Naruto thought the great Kyuubi no Kitsune looked ready to cry. Something he never thought possible for such a powerful being.

**_Madara Uchiha cut her down right in front of me_.** Kurama continued, _**That's when I first started hating the Ningen. Humans. They've taken so much from us all. Our homes, our freedom...and my mate. It was after that he set out to use me against the Harashima Senju, his one time friend and ally. But even with my power, he lost. And I was sealed away.**_

Naruto remained quiet, not knowing what to say to his large friend. But his curiosity was peeked, "Why tell me all this?"

Kurama sighed, **_So that you will protect your mate when you finally find her, Naruto. Nothing is worth losing her._ **The fox smiled sadly, **_It's time for you to go. Your vixen is starting to wake up._**

xXx

Tayuya's eyes fluttered open, unable to stay asleep for long. The night was just beginning as she saw their little camp fire was barely starting to die down. She saw Naruto sitting at the edge of the firelight, looking out into the trees.

"Shouldn't you wake Saiga?" She asked quietly, sitting up.

"It's fine," Naruto smiled over his shoulder, "Kurama gave me a little rest just now. I should be fine." Tayuya blushed. The light from the fire brought out his features, making them more noticeable.

"W-w-well, I can't sleep." She got to her feet and made her way over to him. "I might as well keep you company." She sat down beside him, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders.

"You don't have to do that," he said, "You'll need all you've got for tomorrow."

Tayuya scowled at him. "And you don't?" Naruto chuckled, thinking her scowl made her look kind of cute. _Woah, where did that come from? _He thought, blushing, _Kurama must have gotten to me with all that "mate" stuff he was talking about. _

"I'm totally fine," Naruto pumped his arms cheerfully, "See?" Tayuya rolled her eyes smiling up at him.

"You are such a knucklehead," she said, then leaned against his shoulder, closing her eyes as she did, "But you wouldn't be you if you weren't just a bit of an idiot."

Naruto laughed, "Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

"Take your pick," she snickered. A breeze picked up, bringing a cold draft of air into their camp. Tayuya shivered, drawing the blanket tighter around her. Naruto noticed this and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Better?" He asked.

"A little," she mumbled, looking down, "Why the hell are you always so _warm_?"

"I think it has something to do with the fox," Naruto said, feeling a little uncomfortable at their closeness, "I've never gotten really cold until we traveled to the Land of Snow, or Iron."

"Fuckin' lucky." She muttered, leaning into him more, "But thanks."

"Don't mention it," he smiled, becoming more comfortable.

"No, I really mean, Shithead-kun," she sighed, "You've done a lot for me since I met you."

"Ha, not all that much," Naruto laughed.

Tayuya scoffed, "Oh sure, you just saved me life a few fucking times, gave me a village I could call home, and...you became my first _real_ friend, too." She looked up at him with her warm brown eyes. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto gulped when he looked down at her, feeling trapped by those eyes. They were full of things he had known all of his life. Pain, longing, sorrow, loneliness. But there was something else there. That something called to him, drawing him closer.

Tayuya's breath hitched when he started to lean toward her, and a furious blush spread across her cheeks, but she could not turn away. She reached up and clutched the neckline of his vest to pull herself closer.

_What the hell's going on?_ She asked herself. _Is he really gonna to kiss me? _

_Kurama, you're not controlling me, are you? _Naruto asked, but the fox didn't answer, content to just let the little event unfold. The fox let a smile creep to his face as the two continued to draw closer, oblivious to everything else around them.

Of course this wasn't to be as the fox felt something heading their way. _**Dammit, they were so close!**_Kurama thought, then yelled, _**Oi, Kit, we've got trouble!**_

Kurama's bellow was so loud that Naruto clutched at his ears, "GAH! What the hell's wrong with you, Kurama!" He yelled out loud, shocking the flustered red-head, and inadvertedly waking their other companion.

"Wa's goin' on?" Saiga asked sleepily.

Naruto shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears, only to find that he could feel Chakra signatures heading their way. "Great!" He groaned, "Perfect timing!"

"What the fuck're you talking about!" Tayuya snapped, a little upset that they'd been interrupted.

"Kurama warned me just now," he said, "We've got company!" This woke the young Uchiha up fully, and snapped Tayuya out of her bad mood.

"Where are they coming from?" Tayuya asked, immediately on the defensive.

Naruto didn't have time to figure it out as the ground beneath them started to shake. "Below!"

A second later a body erupted from the ground, _"Doton: Doryūha_!" Naruto growled as the ground started rising.

"Scatter!" Naruto yelled just as the risen earth lashed out at them, narrowly missing him and his team.

Namikaze scum!" The shinobi yelled. Two more popped up out of the same burrow their teammate had come from.

Naruto grinned at them, "I guess you're one of the Iwa teams?"

"We will have your head!" One of them yelled, launching himself at him, "_Doton: Domu_!" The shinobi's arms blackened, aiming right for his vitals. Naruto waited for him, grabbing one arm and hurling him over his shoulder.

"Saiga, this one's the close range fighter!" Naruto yelled, locking the young Iwa nin's arm behind his back, "He's all yours!"

"Hai!" Saiga yelled, rebounding off of a tree trunk to angle himself toward his new opponent.

"No you don't!" The female Iwa nin yelled, her hands flashing in rapid signs, "_Doton: Dosekiryū_!" The ground at her feet erupted in the form of a massive dragon that launched itself toward the young Uchiha.

"_Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu_!" Tayuya yelled, and a watery copy of the earth dragon slammed into it, clashing and canceling both of them. The female Iwa shinobi glared at the red-head, who grinned, "Don't forget _me_, bitch!" She lept down, drawing her kunai.

Saiga spiraled down to his target, flipping end over end and brought his heel smashing down on the shinobi's head. Naruto grunted as a few droplets of blood splashed him.

"Tomoya!" Yelled the remaining male, "You'll pay for that!" He directed his Jutsu at them, causing spikes to shoot out of the ground. Naruto and Saiga took back to the trees.

Naruto flipped through the tiger ,ox, dog, rabbit, and snake seals, "Brace yourself, Tayuya!"

Tayuya let off one of her jutsus and looked up at him, "AW FUCK!" She dove out of the way just as Naruto shouted, "_Fūton: Daitoppa_!" A massive blast of wind shot from his hands. His target was the remaining male. The unfortunate shinboi was flung from his perch atop his pillar and sent flying into a branch, knocking him cold.

"Got mine," Naruto grinned, dusting off his hands.

"I think mine's dead." Saiga said quietly, "I hit him too hard."

Naruto looked over at him, seeing the his friend staring at a bloody stain on his sandle heel. "Saiga, don't think about it. He would have killed you if you hadn't done something."

"_NOOOOOO!_" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin at the frightened shriek. Looking back down he saw Tayuya standing over her target with her flute partly to her lips, while the kunoichi was rolling on the ground in plain fear.

Saiga shivered a little, "You know, she's kinda scary when she wants to be."

"Wonder what she's showing her?" Naruto said curiously.

Saiga gave him a look, "Be honest, Naruto, do you really want to know after that crack about Orochimaru?"

"Geh," Naruto pale, "Not really." He jumped down, "Tayuya-chan, I think that's enough." The girl smirked and released the jutsu from the poor kunoichi, letting her fall unconscious.

"Care to know what I let her see?" She asked, "Pretty nasty."

Naruto raised his hands, waving them frantically, "No, no, no," he said, "I think I have a pretty good guess. Did you check to see if she has the scroll?"

"She doesn't have it," she shrugged, "What about yours?"

"Haven't checked him yet." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head, "I kinda wanted to make sure you were alright after that jutsu I used."

"I'm dandy," she said, adjusting her cap, "It's not like I care if my fucking hair's messed up."

"Oi," Saiga yelled, getting their attention. He raised his hand above his head, clutching a scroll, "I got it!"

"Damn," Naruto sighed, "Guess he won."

Tayuya huffed and crossed her arms, "_You_ let him have him!"

Naruto gave her a foxy grin, "It's his first real fight, I had to let him get a taste."

"Tch," she scoffed, blushing, "You're way too nice, you know that?"

Saiga was beaming at them in triumph as he approached them with the scroll. "This is great! Our first day out here and we already have both our scrolls!"

Naruto smiled, "You're right about that, and it couldn't come at a better time, either. After this battle we'll need to get out of here as fast as possible. Either another team will have picked it up, or the animals will come and investigate. Believe me, the snakes here you do _not_ want to meet!"

xXx

They left the body of the Iwa nin that Saiga had killed with his sleeping teammates, making sure that they would be safe for the night if they didn't wake up until morning, then took off to find another spot for the night, or find the tower, which ever came first.

As it would turn out, fatigue won out over the urge to reach the tower before anyone else. Saiga's body was not used to such strain as this, and he soon felt beyond tired. Naruto and Tayuya helped him as they found a suitable tree to spend the night in, high above the ground, and out of sight, unless you happened to be a Hyuga.

Naruto smiled at their height, "I don't think anyone would look this high."

Saiga smiled tiredly, "With hair like yours? That's as good as a signal flare!"

Tayuya snickered, "Hey, he used to wear this awful orange jump suit before, and he still made past ANBU and other shinobi. And he still wears the color, even if it's with that vest he's so proud of."

Naruto plucked at his vest, pouting, "I'm _not_ proud of it."

Saiga chuckled, "Either way, guys, I'm glad we got teamed up." He said, "Danzo wanted me to be with one of his teams for the exam. But Tsunade-sama made sure to put a stop to that."

"I'm glad, too," Naruto said, giving his _Good Guy_ pose, "You're not a bad fighter."

"Neither are you two," Saiga said, looking at Tayuya, "That was some water dragon you made!"

"Hell yeah," she smirked, "It's my primary affinity!"

"Let's get some sleep," Naruto said, "We'll need our strength for the run tomorrow. And Kami help anyone that gets in our way!" He sat down against the trunk and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

Tayuya shook her head, "How the hell does he _do_ that?" She asked, listening to him snore.

"I don't know," Saiga smiled, "But I'm jealous."

* * *

_**A little bit of action and a little bit of fluff to put these two on the right path. I hope the battle in this chapter was better than the last two I wrote. I know it was kinda quick, but hey, maybe I'm getting the hang of it :p**_

_**Oh, that reminds me...I don't own Naruto :'(**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**I recieved one review that rubbed my feathers the wrong way this time, but thank whatever Gods there are, the good out weigh the bad, so on with the show! XD**_

_**11: Ambush**_

* * *

Naruto snapped awake, feeling something was wrong. He looked around, seeing his two friends asleep on either side of him, snoring peacefully. He sat up, careful to keep his balance on his branch.

"What's going on?" Naruto whispered, "My heart's pounding like crazy!" It was the truth, his heart was beating in his chest harder than when he was in a spar with Tayuya. "Kurama?"

_**I don't know, Kit.**_the great fox said, **_It feels like the whole forest is on edge._**Inside the seal, Kurama raised his head, and took a deep breath, catching scents from Naruto's senses. Then the hackles on his back raised, **_I smell smoke, Kit! Lots of it! You need to wake the others, and I mean now!_**

"Shit!" Naruto growled, and turned to the others, "Wake up! Tayuya," he jumped over and started shaking her shoulder, leaping over to Saiga when the girl started to wake, "Saiga, come on! We gotta go!"

"What the fuck?" Tayuya mumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily, "What's got your whiskers in a twist?"

"G-g-go 'way Ushio-chan," Saiga mumbled, rolling over. "It's too early."

The blonde felt his eye starting to twitch. "Wake up!" He gave the boy a solid kick in the ass.

"GAHA!" Saiga yelled, jumping up, "What the hell was that?"

"That was my foot in your ass!" Naruto growled, "Now let's get moving, there's a forest fire!"

"What!" Tayuya yelled, "How the fuck did that happen?!

"Hell if I know!" Naruto snapped, checking his scrolls, "But I don't want to e here when it gets this far!"

"We heading to the tower, then?" Saiga asked, finally waking up.

"No shit!" Tayuya said, then lept down to the lower branches, "Let's go!"

xXx

As Naruto and his team hit the ground running, the blonde felt something wrong with the whole situation. The forest, he knew, was not prone to fires even in the drier parts of the year. This had the feeling of being flushed out. But the smell of the smoke so nearby made him fear for his team.

"What's the plan?" Saiga asked, "Keep heading to the tower?"

"Yeah, but we need to avoid the fire," Naruto growled, "But this doesn't feel right. The fire's too close!" In truth he could already feel the heart of the flames coming from all around. "And it feels like it's only in this area!"

"Fuck!" Tayuya snapped, "We were flushed!"

"Exactly!" Naruto said, feeling Kurama's Chakra seeping into his own. "We're being hunted, and I wanna know who or what it is!"

"Akatsuki?" Tayuya asked.

Naruto shook his head, "No, they'd probably come at us head-on. This feels more like something more like a flat-out man hunt."

Saiga shot a glance at his friends, "The Iwa nins?"

Naruto nodded, "That's the only thing that I can think of. We left two alive last night, and killed another. Plus there were six more, so we may have eight people on our tails before this is over."

Tayuya scowled, keeping her eyes in front of her, "Yeah, but it doesn't look like they knew where we were." The two boys looked at her. Feeling their eyes boring into her back she turned to them, "Look, we were in that tree all night, and the fire is at least a mile away from us in any direction by the smell. Plus the wind is coming from the North, where we're heading, so the fire is going toward the South, away from us. It would have made more sense to find us and then set the fire at the base of the tree."

Naruto thought about that. It made sense. When flushing out quail or boar, one would drive them from their hiding spot toward the hunter, who would be just a few feet away. Unless...

"Unless they're driving us!" Naruto lept into the trees, "Off the ground now!"

Saiga and Tayuya were right behind him, and not a moment too soon. An earth dragon erupted from ground just in front of them. The dragon smashed into the base of the tree, making it shudder. Naruto was impressed at the power behind the technique. Tayuya, however, was pissed. She formed the dragon and tiger seals, "I've had enough of these dickwads!" She yelled, "_Suishū Gorugon!_" A huge amount of water formed around her in a giant ball, then snake-like tentacles shot out, "Now where are they?"

Naruto grinned, "There's one just under ground below the tree."

"Fuck yeah!" The watery tentacles shot down the trunk, slamming into the ground. The three heard a scream from where they had struck, and out came another male Iwa nin wrapped by then tendrils. Tayuya grinned as the boy was lifted to their level, "Hi there, gaki, how's it hanging?"

Naruto groaned, "Really? _That's_ what you came up with?"

Tayuya sneered, "Didn't hear you coming up with anything!"

Saiga ignored them both and stepped up to the dangling shinobi, "Where are the others, and how many are there?"

"Fuck you!" He spat at him. Saiga grimaced and wiped his face.

"Either you will tell us," he said, "Or we can drown you." He reached out, gripping him by the face, and making him look at him, "Your choice."

The boy went pale. Naruto grinned, "You have a sadistic side to you, ne?"

Saiga grinned, "When I want to."

Tayuya grimaced, "Can we fucking move this along? I'm not too good at this Jutsu, so if you want to drown him, he has five minutes before I lose it."

"Go ahead and drown me you cock suckers!" The Iwa nin snapped, "You won't get anything out of me!"

"Oi," Naruto grinned, "Watch the language, there's a lady here."

"Who?" Tayuya asked. Naruto's grin widened. Finally it hit Tayuya that he was talking about her. The blush on her face would have lit up half the of the Land of Fire. "You jackass!" She yelled, causing the water to tighten around her captive.

"Urk!"

"Tayuya-chan, ease up, we need him alive." Saiga said, smiling at the pair, "You should really save that for the honeymoon."

"Shut up!" Both of them yelled.

**_Kit_**,Kurama said, **_As much as I enjoy your banter with your mate, perhaps I can lend a hand in this little interrogation?_ **Naruto grinned, looking at his companions. "Kurama wants to help out here."

Tayuya looked a little shocked at this, "How the fuck's he gonna do that?"

_**Hehe, brace yourself, Kit.** _Naruto could feel the smile on the fox's face as a surge of demonic Chakra raced through him. Saiga winced and backed away was red mist swirled around him, and his features started turning feral. The partial change had the desired effect on their captive. The young Genin's eyes widened with fear as the whisker marks on his face darkened and his teeth elongated into fangs while his nails became claws.

Tayuya felt a shiver run down her spine, but it wasn't fear. _Damn, girl, focus! _She told herself_._ Naruto walked to the young shinobi's face, looking him square in the eye.

"_Now then_**,**" Naruto growled, "_Where are your friends?_"

But there wasn't an answer. The Iwa nin's eyes had rolled back in his head, which lolled down against his chest. Naruto could smell it on his last breath. "_Poison._"

xXx

Seven figures watched the drama unfold. "So our target is a Jinchuriki?" One said in interest, "And he has control over his beast."

"Yusuke, this changes things a bit," a female said, "A normal shinobi from the Namikaze clan was bad enough, but a Jinchuriki is way out of our league."

"What makes you say that?" Yusuke asked, "Konoha doesn't really care for this one, apparently. From what I've picked up, they would be happy if here were killed."

"That's not the point!" Another male snapped, "This village is known to house the Kyuubi no Kitsune! What chance do we have against that!"

"We can certainly try," said another, eagerly, "Think of it, when we go back home, they'll make us heroes for killing the last Namikaze!"

The three female members of the teams looked at one another, "Remember Onoki-sama saying that he tried to propose a political marriage to this shinobi?"

"I do," one of the girls said, "My mother nearly had a heart attack when she heard about it. She's wants nothing to do with it."

"I doubt he'd force anyone into it," said the third, "His granddaughter would be the obvious choice."

"Oi, we're talking about an assassination here!" Yusuke snapped.

"Will you all keep quiet!" the second male snapped, "We'll need to split them up. I can hear them making plans to send the two others ahead to the tower. Namikaze will be staying behind and leading us away!"

xXx

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Tayuya screeched, causing a certain fox to cover his ears, "We can't go on without you!" Naruto was rubbing his ears against the ringing the red-head had caused.

"She's right," Saiga said, his own ears ringing, "What makes you think we'll leave you behind for them to ambush?"

Naruto sighed, knowing this would happen. "Look, guys, I know this is a little crazy, but they're only after me, so it makes sense that I should stay behind and keep them busy until you get to the tower."

"Fucking crazy is right, Shithead!" Tayuya growled, "It's seven against one!"

"Yeah," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head, "It's kinda unfair for those guys."

Tayuya face faulted. "That's not what I mean, you dope!"

"What she means is that we're worried about you," Saiga said, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "You may be a Jinchuriki, but you can't use much of the fox's Chakra without damaging your seal!"

Naruto chuckled, "Oh, I won't need that. I've got a little secret up my sleeve." Naruto rolled up his sleeve, revealing a gravity seal, a large one. "I have five of these on me. If I release them, nothing's gonna stop me!"

Tayuya crossed her arms, "Fuck you, Shithead, I'm still not going!"

Naruto glared at her, "Tayuya, listen, I'm not giving you an option. These guys are good, and I know you know it. With seven of them on our tails, we'll be in trouble if they come at us all at once!" Naruto sighed at the hurt look that came across the girl's face. "Look," he said, looking at both of them, "Kakashi-sensei once told me that those that break the laws of the village are scum." Tayuya and Saiga flinched. They had been trying to disobey their leader's orders. But Naruto continued with a smile, "But those that abandon their comrades are even lower than scum. I'm not asking you to abandon me to the mercy of the enemy teams. I'm making a strategic desicion."

Saiga sighed himself, "Alright, Naruto. I'll follow your orders as team leader." Then he smirked and socked the blonde playfully in the stomach. "Don't go dyin' on me just yet. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the finals."

Naruto returned the punch with his usual foxy grin, "Right back at'cha, Teme."

Tayuya watched the little exchange with a small smile tugging at her lips. Naruto looked over at her next, the grin disappearing. "Tayuya-chan? You okay?" She scowled at him, making him flinch.

"Fuck no I'm not okay!" Tayuya yelled, "Remember the last time I left you alone? You almost died because I wasn't there to watch your back!"

"That wasn't your fault!" Naruto growled, "I just got over confident because of all the training we did!"

Saiga looked between the two, seeing a fight in the making. "I'll...wait a little further ahead. Come find me when you're ready." He leapt away, leaving them alone, neither of them noticing his absence.

"Idiot," Tayuya yelled, "You were out numbered, and if I had just been there - "

"The result would have been the same!" Naruto roared back, "That time the only thing that kept you from getting hurt by those shinobi was you barreling in at the last minute and helping me. If you had been there from the start, then you would have been in worse shape that I was in the end. I have the Kyuubi in me, Tayuya-chan, which basically makes me immortal as long as his Chakra keeps flowing."

"But the seal - " She started, but he cut her off again with a wave of his hand.

"Tayuya-chan, the seal will hold as long as I don't go into the Nine-tails cloak." He said, his grin returning. "I'll come back, so don't worry about me, Tayu-chan." The girl blushed at his nickname for her, but let it slide.

She smiled a little, "Seems all I ever do is worry about you, you shithead. Then again," she stepped closer, placing her head against his chest, "You always manage to come out on top somehow."

Naruto smiled, letting his arms encircle the girl, "Yup, you know it. I'm just too awesome to be put down by a couple of Iwa rockheads."

Tayuya snickered, and reached up to flick him on his nose, "There's that confidence again." Naruto laughed, blushing as she wrapped her arms around him, "But, like I said, you wouldn't be you without it." She stretched out and pressed her lips against his.

Naruto immediately went rigid, hardly knowing what to do. Sure he had nearly kissed her last night, but he had thought that had something to do with Kurama. But now...

_Damn her lips are soft, _he thought, and sighed into the kiss, finally returning the favor and clutching her tightly against him. It was an awkward kiss at first, but Tayuya fell into a rythme as she moved her lips against his. Naruto attempted to match the movements, angling his face so he could kiss her better. Neither one was confident enough to try anything clever with their tongue or teeth. The thought of Naruto's already fang-like teeth scraping against her skin sent a shiver up and down Tayuya's spine. He always looked so much more handsome to her when the fox's Chakra changed him. The fangs and claws never frightened her, even when she'd seen them for the first time. It was a part of who he was.

Naruto himself was on cloud nine. He felt completely light-headed as he continued to kiss his best friend of three years. Again the thought the Kurama might be directing his actions crossed his mind, but at the moment he did not care at all. The Biju in question could not help chuckling a little at the boy's accusation, but he was simply happy that his "kit" had finally seen what had been before him the entire time. A friend, a companion, and a partner.

After what seemed like hours, which most likely boiled down to two to three minutes, the two broke apart breathing heavily. Both were blushing furiously, but smiling at what had just happened.

"W-where did that come from?" Naruto asked, not really caring.

Tayuya smirked, "Fuck if I know, but I liked it." She slipped out of his grasp. "Think of it as a good luck charm, but I want it back when you get back." She giggled and leapt away, leaving Naruto looking after her.

"Hmph, I guess you got your wish, ne, Kurama?" Naruto asked, receiving a throaty chuckle from the Biju. Then he turned toward the trees, "Alright, you can come out now."

A moment later, three shinobi dropped to the ground in front of him. Naruto cocked his head curiously, "Only three? I thought there were seven of you left."

"Heh, there are," said the one in front, "We sent the others ahead to deal with your teammates."

Naruto grinned, "Well, that's just too bad." His eyes turned red and his puils became slits, "You should have brought _more_."

xXx

Saiga was waiting for her when she finally caught up, wearing a cheeky grin. "So? How was it?"

Tayuya blushed, "H-ho-how was what?"

Saiga chuckled and shook his head, "Never mind, Tayuya-san." He leapt ahead of her. "Come on, we should get going."

"Right," she grumbled, chasing after him.

"Oi, don't be so gloomy," Saiga grinned over his shoulder, "He'll be fine." He turned around, leaping backwards, making Tayuya role her eyes. "Naruto won't go down without a fight. He'll be back before we even get to the tower!"

Tayuya grinned at him, "Yeah!" Then she noticed something coming out of the canopy our of the corner of her eye. Something that made a bee line for Saiga! "Look out!"

"Huh?" Saiga turned just in time for a body to tackle him out of the trees, sending both of them to the ground.

"Fuck!" Tayuya growled, shooting off her branch after the falling figures.

"You're not going anywhere, Red!" Tayuya whipped around, catching sight of three more figures coming at her. She back flipped down to another branch as three kunoichi landed where she had been just a moment earlier. One of them she recognized as the Iwa kunoichi she had fought the night before.

Tayuya grinned up at her, "Oh, back for round two?"

The girl turned red, "That wasn't funny! I'll be having nightmares for the rest of my life!"

"Oh~ poor widdle baby," Tayuya sneered, "So your brought a couple of friends to pay me back?"

The three of them sneered right back in answer. Tayuya thought about reaching for her flute to cast the Genjutsu she used on her last time just to piss her off, but decided against it. She cracked her knuckles instead. "Well, come on then."

xXx

Saiga swore profusely as he and his attack hit the ground. He kicked and rolled away from him, jumping back to his feet, bringing a kunai in front of him from his pouch. "I can't believe I was that careless!" He spat, "What do you want?"

The Iwa nin stood up, "Revenge for my teammate," it was the shinobi from the previous night, "Tomoyo didn't have to die at the hands of a nothing like you!"

Saiga growled, "I'm not a nothing. I may not have their pride or arrogance, but I am an Uchiha!"

"Impossible," the shinobi laughed, "They were wiped out ages ago by one of their own! You're nothing compared to them."

"I am!" Saiga roared angrily.

"Prove it then," he said, sneering, "Show me your Sharingan!"

Saiga flinched, making the enemy shinobi laugh even more. "I don't have my family's Kekkei Genkai. But I don't need it to beat a whimp like you!" His hands came together in the snake seal. Lightning started crackling around his body, making the Iwa nin sweat, finally seeing the young Uchiha as a threat. "_Raiton: Gian!" _Saiga opened his mouth, aiming the following blast of lightning at his opponent.

"Shit!" He lept out of the way. Saiga followed him with the attack.

_It's still not fast enough! _He thought, shooting another blast. _Kakashi said this was a near unavoidable attack, but I still haven't perfected it yet! _For Saiga, the Jutsu was slightly draining, and was not one he could keep up for long.

The Iwa shinobi landed, digging his feet into the ground making the ram seal, "_Doton: Arijigoku no Jutsu!"_ The ground around him shook and fell, forming a massive pit that nearly made Saiga lose his footing. The Iwa shinobi sank into the ground out of sight, leaving Saiga guessing where he was, that being the center of the pit.

"Coward!" Saiga yelled tauntingly, "Come out and fight me!"

It worked. His opponent shot out of the hole he had made, the rat seal already formed, "_Doton: Ganban Kyū!_" Four pillars of rock shot out of the ground toward Saiga. He jumped from his branch and watched as it was crushed by the pillars. Suddenly the shinobi was right beside him. He aimed a kick at Saiga's back, sending the boy to the ground.

Saiga coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, and tried to get to his feet. The Iwa shinobi landed beside him grinning. "So this is the power of the mighty Uchiha?" He jeered, "I can't say I'm impressed if this is all you have."

"F-fuck you!" Saiga coughed. His ribs were on fire. He had not felt any of them break, but he knew that the fall had bruised them badly. His opponent grinned again and raised his foot and stomped on his chest. "GRAUGH!" His straggled scream tore at his throat.

"Pathetic," he said, "The only one on your team we were really worried about was that damned freak of yours." Saiga glared at him. "But that was only natural, him being a Namikaze, and a Jinchuriki after all. Then there's that red-haired bitch of his." Saiga's whole body started to shake with rage at the insults. "Before we set out after you two, we thought we'd get a little show from those two the way they were going at each other." He laughed, "It's amazing that she could feel anything for that demon!"

Saiga grabbed a hold of his ankle, gripping his tightly, "You're wrong! He isn't a demon!" He felt his Chakra begin to spike. "It's people like you that are the demons!"

The Iwa shinobi's eyes widened, "You really are an Uchiha!"

"No shit!" Saiga yelled, sending all the lightning Chakra he had left into his right hand, "_Raijū Hashiri no Jutsu_!" There was no way for him to dodge the attack that erupted from the Uchiha's hand as a giagantic lightning beast lept at him, striking him in the chest and ripping into him. Saiga lept to his feet with renewed energy. The world seemed slower now as him charged his opponent.

He ducked down and kicked the Iwa shinobi in the jaw, sending him flying. Saiga blurred after him, ramming another kick into his stomach, and flashed behind him, turning him upside down and wrapping his arms and legs around his limp body. "_Kage Buyo_!" They spun, spiraling to the ground. The Iwa shinobi never saw the end coming as his upper body was slammed and plowed into the ground, only his legs showing.

Saiga fell flat on his back, gasping for breath. "And that...is what...you get...for messing with my friends!"

xXx

Naruto looked around at his handy work. All but one of the shinobi that had attacked were dead. But that one wouldn't be moving for a while. _You know, I think we might have gone over the top this time? _

_**I don't think so.**_Kurama yawned, **_It was rather boring once their leader was taken down. But you have to admit that he had that Rasengan coming after he insulted your mate, plus you only needed to release one of your gravity seals._ **Naruto conceded the point, not even bothering to deny Tayuya as his _mate_ anymore.

_We should probably catch up to them and see if they're all right. _He lept off the ground and and shot off in the direction they had gone.

xXx

Tayuya, for the first time since she had gotten into the forest, was having the time of her life. The three kunoichi were good at close range combat, each one of them trying, without success, to leave their mark on her with either kunai or shuriken. But she was much too quick for them. Over the years, Tayuya had become almost graceful in her fighting skills, and seemed to dance out of the way of their strikes.

To them it was frustrating that the red-haired kunoichi kept avoiding their blades. But they had no other alternatives. She was a long range fighter. Close range was her weakness, but now they saw that it was not a severe weakness as they had hoped. She was light on her feet and faster than any kunoichi they had ever seen in Iwa.

Their Earth style Jutsu would never be able to catch her before she had fled from the the attack. "Come on," Tayuya taunted them, "Can't you catch me?"

"You crazy bitch!" Yelled her pursuer, and hurled a kunai at her. Tayuya snatched it out of the air before it hit her, and sent it right back double-quick, hitting the girl square in the chest. The girl screamed and fell to the ground.

The other two shuddered, then looked at the red-head nervously. Tayuya grinned at them, "Looks like it's time to stop the games." She brought her hands up and went through ox, horse and ram seals. "_Suiton: Rekkū Suigeki_!" She took a deep breath, and shot out large bolts of ice. The darts sliced through the trees and their branches like they were nothing.

One of the kunoichi had the sense to run before the darts could get her, the other, however, wasn't so luck as a large spike impaled her her through the stomach, destroying her spine and pinning the now lifeless body against a tree.

Tayuya watched the other one go, and took out her flute grinning maniacaly, "Oh, hell no, you ain't gettin' off that easy."

Azusa, the one remaining female Iwa nin, heard the flute being played and went pale as her world blurred. She found herself in a dark corridor with only candles to light the halls. "Oh no, not again!" She groaned. A hiss came from behind her as the snakes from the last time came out of the shadows. She furiously tried to break the Genjutsu before they could reach her, but it was no use.

"Kukukuku, well look who's back," said a cold voice.

"_NOOOOOOOOO_!"

xXx

Tayuya stood over the girl's thrashing body as the Genjutsu did its work. Her mouth was already starting to foam with terror. She smirked and decided to cut her a break and released it, then delivered a punch to her head, knocking her out once more.

"Not fucking bad if I do say so myself," she said, dusting her hands off smugly.

"I'll say," she whipped around, finding Naruto standing right behind her, "Remind me never to make you mad again." He said, shivering, "Kurama gave me the run down on that Jutsu when I got here. Tayuya-chan, that is seriously wrong!"

She shrugged, "What can I say?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Just promise me you'll never do that to me."

Tayuya giggled, "Not that it would work. Kurama would dispel it before it effected you."

Naruto sighed, conceding th point, "What happened to Saiga?"

Tayuya sighed, "The other Iwa nin knocked him out of the trees, and then these bitches came after me...I haven't had a chance to go look for him."

xXx

"NYAAA~CHOO!" Saiga sneezed, making his ribs ache, "Man, I hope those guys find me before something else does." He had barely moved since his fight ended, barely managing to lean himself against a tree. His ribs made it too painful to move around much.

"OI! SAIGA!" Saiga looked around. _That was Naruto! _

"Down here!" He yelled. A moment later Tayuya and Naruto landed just in front of him. "Boy am I glad to see you two!_"_ He grinned, looking over at Tayuya, "How did your fight go?"

"Boring!" She scoffed, waving her hand flippantly, "I've fought nukenin that put up more of a fight than those three bitches!"

"Same here," Naruto sighed, "The three that found me were a bunch of whimps."

Saiga grinned, "I hate to say it, but I had a little difficulty with mine." He grimaced, "I think my ribs might be cracked."

Naruto leaned down over him, "Maybe I can help with that?"

"How?" Saiga asked, smiling, "You know some Medical Ninjutsu?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, but being part Uzumaki I have a little healing abilities. I found out about a year ago because Tayuya told me I helped her get over an illness."

Tayuy blushed as she remembered that. At the time she'd practically clung to him while she was half-naked.

Meanwhile, Naruto placed his hand on Saiga's chest, and focused on sending a small amount of Chakra into his system. The boy shuddered, "That feels weird! Like my chest is going numb!"

"It takes a minute," Naruto said, "But it works."

xXx

Hours later found the trio at the base of the tower. Saiga was happily back on his feet after Naruto's ability had helped him heal, though Naruto found that he was suffering from a light spell of Chakra exhaustion. Saiga didn't know why this was. He had not used enough Jutsu to even use three-quarters of his Chakra, but he felt it all the same.

"Finally here," the young Uchiha sighed, "That was rough."

"We made it here with three days to spare," Naruto said, "The last time we only just made it, but this time around was easier because we didn't have some crazy Hebi-teme to deal with."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just go inside already!" Tayuya said, pushing the door open, "I wanna see whats on those scrolls!"

Naruto grinned as he helped his friend inside, following after the red-head. Once inside Tayuya rolled out the scrolls, over lapping them as Naruto instructed. Then the symbols glowed, followed by a large puff of smoke. Naruto remembered that the last time it had been Iruka that had popped out. But this time it was a different person, though he wasn't any less familiar.

The masked shinobi snapped his little orange book and raised his hand in greeting. "Well, that was quick. Good to see you three so soon."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto and Saiga smiled.

"So," Tayuya smirked, "What's next for the exams?"

"Well," said the one-eyed Jonin, "Since you took out possibly three teams, the next round will be the finals. Unfortunately, Iwa, and Suna's teams were unable to get through the forest this time around. Kumo and Konoha had two teams each. Ay-sama will be happy to hear that news. He had high hopes for this year's crop of Genin. Besides your team, only a Konoha team that had a Hyuga with them managed to get here."

"Cool," Naruto said, "Will it be another month before it starts?"

"Afraid so," Kakashi said, nodding, "But this will give you all a chance to rest up and train before you fight again."

"Will Iwa and Suna's Kage still be coming?" Saiga asked.

"They will," he said, "Gaara and Onoki want to scope out the competition."

Naruto grinned, "This' great, now we can show our stuff in the finals!"

* * *

**_Well I finally got this chapter out! Sorry for the wait, but I had a little trouble getting my fights in line. Either way, the next chapter will be just as crazy, and I'm sure you can all guess why XD_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**I realize I focused a little too much on my OC, but I assure you all that this is strictly about Naruto and Tayuya...but that won't stop me from throwing in a few different romances (and lemons) with the OCs or other characters from the series :) Speaking of which, be prepare for absolute mayhem! XD I promised craziness, and craziness is what I shall provide!**_

_**12: Reunions**_

* * *

Tayuya's heart was pounding like a drum at the moment as she paced the village. She had no idea what had possessed her to kiss Naruto, or what had made her basically tell him that she wanted him to kiss her again, and now she felt like she had screwed something up. _Friends don't kiss, right? At least not on the lips_, she thought. She sighed in defeat. After Kakashi had told them about the next round she had scrambled out of there as if her life depended on it. Naruto hadn't questioned her either, which hurt in a small way.

She stopped at the dango shop for a snack, making sure Anko wasn't around to cause any trouble.

Well, it wasn't Anko in the shop. A young blonde woman in a black kimono and a giant folding fan strapped to her back was sitting at one of the tables facing the door. Both caught sight of the other at the same time. The blonde kunoichi's eyes widened as the red-head grinned nervously. "H-hi th-there," Tayuya said, raising her hand in greeting. Temari gulped down her food. "Now I know the last time we met I wasn't a good guy." She started backing out of the shop. "B-but I'm p-part of the village now, so no worries." Temari reached for her fan. Tayuya blanched, "OH FUCK!"

"_Fūsajin no Jutsu!_"

xXx

For once it seemed that Tsunade would be having a peaceful morning as she sat behind her desk, with a moderately small pile of paper work she could finish in little over and hour if she kept at it. Shizune stepped into the room with a tray of tea. "Ohayou, Tsunade-sama. You look like you're in a good mood?"

"I am, as a matter of fact," she said as her assistant poured a cup for her, "I've just gotten word that Naruto's team passed the second test easily and all but destroyed the three Iwa teams."

"So I heard," Shizune smiled, "He's certainly come a long way in the last three years, hasn't he?"

"He has at that," the older blonde smiled, "He's more mature in a few ways, but that little blonde knucklehead we all love is still there."

Shizune giggled, "Do you think that the girl he had with him had anything to do with that?" She handed her the cup. "They seem very close."

Tsunade chuckled as she took the cup and took a long drink, "She may, but I have a feeling that some of that maturity is all his own. But you're right in saying that they're close. I wouldn't be surprised if they became a couple soon."

BOOM

"AIE!" Shizune squeaked, "What was that?!"

Tsunade growled and turned to look out the window, "_That_ was the end of my good mood!"

xXx

As Tsunade had feared, the peaceful morning had been shattered, once again involving a certain unfortunate dango shop

"Fucking listen to me already!" Tayuya yelled, "We're on the same team!" She yelled and ducked under another gust of wind aimed in her direction.

"Bullshit!" Temari growled, "I left you buried under a forest!"

Tayuya grimaced, "No shit, I was there, remember?"

"Hold still!" Temari yelled. She swung her fan again as Tayuya scrambled out of the way again.

"No fucking way!" She yelled, "What's it gonna take to get you to listen?!"

"Where's your hitai then?!" Temaria yelled, chasing after her. Both girls took to the roof tops, causing the spectators to crane their necks to keep track of the fight. Even the ANBU were torn on whether or not to interfere. It wasn't every day that two kunoichi went into a battle royal. Not only that, but everyone had come to know the temper of the red-haired kunoichi as the second coming of the _Red Death_ after her chasing Naruto all over the village. Temari, a usually sedate young woman, was a different story. No one wanted to get on either of their bad sides.

"It's on my belt!" Tayuya shrieked, pointing to her hips. Temari paid little attention, but did catch a glimpse of the shiny metal plate. But how easy was it to duplicate one? "Believe me now?" Tayuya asked hopefully.

Temari hefted her fan, "No!" She swung it around, "_Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!_"

"You fucking nut-job!" Tayuya yelled, and dove off the roof as the slicing winds passed over her, Temari hot on her heels.

xXx

"Wonder what all the racket's about?" Naruto asked, hearing the loud shouts and smaller sounds of things breaking. Saiga cocked his head a little, trying to hear it better.

"Huh, sounds like a fight," he said, shrugging it off, "As long as it's friendly, then I don't see any reason to get involved.

Naruto grimaced, "I don't know, Saiga, shouldn't we at least check it out?"

"After all the craziness that happened last night?" Saiga groaned, slumping over comically, "No thanks! I'd rather run from the fan girls again!"

"Geh," Naruto went pale, seeing a few familiar girls coming their way, "You just had to say that, didn't you?"

"Wah?" Saiga looked up just as the girls spotted them. Letting out shrieks of delight, the started toward them. "Aw nuts!" Saiga jumped up onto the roof of one of the buildings, "I'm gettin' outta here before the kunoichi hear them!"

"Oi!" Naruto made a grab for him, missing by inches and fell to the ground.

"Oh!" He heard one of the girls say, "Namikaze-sama, are you alright?" Naruto groaned as he heard their feet pounding toward him. He looked up and found himself totally surrounded.

"Oh...Uh, yeah, I...just slipped!" He sprang back up, "I'll just be going now!"

"Wait!" One of them grabbed a hold of his arm. "You could have hurt yourself! We should make sure you're alright!" A collective giggle rose up around him, and Naruto began sweating profusely.

"Tha-that's really not ne-necessary, ladies!" Naruto gulped as the girl holding him pressed against his arm. _Soft...No! BAD! REALLY BAD! Kurama! Help! _

_**What am I supposed to do?** _Kurama chuckled, _**I'm stuck in here!**_

Seeing the look on Naruto's face, the rest of the girls glomped him. Naruto felt a shiver run down his spine. "I-I-I just remembered, I have to speak to Tsunade-baa-chan! See ya!" He lept straight up, and scrambled across the roof tops.

"Wait, Namikaze-sama!" The girls yelled.

"Man, never thought I'd miss the days when the called me the _demon brat_!" Naruto grumbled.

_**I admit that this is going to pose a problem with Tayuya.** _Kurama laughed, his tails twitching. **_Speaking of which, Kit, where is she? I thought you two were doing quite well for a minute. _**

_I have no idea, _Naruto thought, _I thought something might be happening as, too. _

**_Give it some time,_**the fox said, **_She's probably a tad overwhelmed with her own actions._ **Naruto sighed as he head for the Hokage's mansion. _It was real wasn't it? _He asked the fox, making him raise his head at the boy's thoughts. _I mean she wouldn't do that unless she meant it, would she? _

_**Kit, come on, you've known her for three damned years!**_Kurama growled, **_And it's time for you to admit that you have _****_been attracted to her for that long! _**

_How is that going to help me, Kurama? Come on, you live inside me for Kami's sake! You know how I feel probably better than I do! _Naruto snapped.

_**The sad fact about that is that it's true!** _Kurama snapped, then smirked, _**Still you should tell her about the next month, you don't want to freak her out, do you? **_

_Yeah, but - _

_**Kit, you need to tell if you don't want to hurt her. Think of the - Oi, Kit, kunoichi, dead ahead!**_

"Yikes!" Naruto slipped off the roof he'd been jumping to, slipping down to the ground once more as a pack of kunoichi sailed over him.

"Damn, we missed him!"

"Aw, man, I'm so outta here!" Naruto groaned, and ran back down the street, with a stampede right behind him.

xXx

Tsunade groaned as the minimal paper work she'd had this morning doubled within the hour. "Kami truly hates me." She moaned, placing her head in her arms. Shizune patted her on the back, "Tsunade-sama, perhaps a cup of tea or something to eat to calm your nerves?"

"Sake!" Tsunade snapped, making the woman sweat drop, "After the day's gone to hell like this, I want the tallest bottle of Sake in my stores!"

Shizune sighed and moved toward the door to get the requested bottle, when the door itself suddenly burst open and a laughing Jiraiya strolled in. Shizune squeaked and moved out of his way, knowing his joyful moods often lead to either drinking, sex, or both. But she noticed the man was sober, and simply laughing.

"Tsunade-hime!" Jiraiya laughed, "Have you seen what's going on in the village?"

A vein throbbed on Tsunade's head, "Does it _look_ like I have time to find out what's going on down there?" She waved her hand at the still growing pile of paper work. "Unless it has something to do with all this, then I don't give a flying thunder god!"

Jiraiya grinned and produced a spy glass from his robes, "Oh but it _does_, Hime-chan!" He tossed the glass to her, "Have a look!"

Tsunade caught it with a huff, and turned toward the window, "What am I looking for?"

Jiraiya chuckled, "Just look for our two favorite love birds."

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow at him, but held the glass to her eye and peered down into the village. At first she saw nothing, but then some sort of commotion caught her attention. A red blur passed over on of the roof tops with what looked like a gust of a Wind-style Jutsu following her, quickly followed by a blonde and black blur.

The Godaime quickly took the spy glass from her eye and rubbed it to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Was that Tayuya?"

"Most likely," Jiraiya chuckled, pointing to another section of town, "Have a look over there."

She did as he instructed, catching sight of two billowing dust clouds, and two frazzled Genin in front of a pack of women. "Oh, for the love of - Who's chasing Tayuya?"

"Temari, I believe," Jiraiya smirked, "From what I heard, they crossed paths at the dango shop, which is now in dire needs of repair, and she's been chasing her since then trying to apprehend her. Apparently she still doesn't know she's part of the village."

"This is ridiculous," Tsunade said, a small chuckle leaking into her voice, "And what about the boys?"

Jiraiya smirked, "The village girls and off-duty kunoichi caught sight of their prey and decided to hunt them down."

Shizune stepped up to the window, "Should we do something to stop this?"

"Like what?" Jiraiya asked, taking out a note pad and grinning perversely, "I'm getting tons of research material out of this! It'll be my finest work, a divine comedy that is called love!"

Tsunade snickered at him for once, "At least this is keeping you out the onsens."

Jiraiya chuckled, "Who needs'em with these gakis around?" Then looked back down into the village using a second spy glass, "Oh, boy! Is that Anko?"

xXx

Once again, Anko Matarashi was blue in the face with rage at the sight of her favorite cafe's state. Temari's Jutsu had completely collapsed the the entrance, and taken off a large portion of the roof. "My dango..." she whined, tears streaming down her face, then brought out a kunai out of her coat, "Someone's gonna pay!"

"GANG WAY BITCHES!" Anko turned around just as a familiar red-head zoomed past her, spinning the tokubetsu Jonin around in a whirl that left her feeling nauseous.

"COME BACK HERE!" This time it was a blonde kunoichi that flew past, spinning the poor woman in the opposite direction. Anko fell to the ground, her eyes whirling in dizziness.

xXx

Back at the Hokage's mansion, two Sannin, and one medical nin were laughing their asses off at the poor woman's luck as the gazed down at the chaos the two girls left in their wake.

"Oh I'll have to treat Anko to a month of free dango after that little stunt!" Tsunade brayed, holding her sides.

Jiraiya was holding himself up with a hand press against the window, "You see what I mean? Kami this is better than a movie!"

Shizune, who held a pair of binoculars, was still giggling, though she did feel a bit sorry for her fiend's misfortune.

_Meanwhile with Naruto and Saiga..._

"This is insane!" Saiga yelled as he ran, "I've never seen them this persistent before!" Naruto was running along beside him, wide-eyed with fear, and wisely kept his mouth shut, for fear of biting his tongue, or making things worse.

Inside Naruto's mind, Kurama was having a blast watching the two boys run for their...chastity. All things considered, it was the funniest thing he'd seen since Kakashi pulled that ridiculous prank on his host when he was twelve, of which Naruto still complained from time to time. _**Perhaps you should go ahead and mate with a few of them?** _Kurama's suggestion nearly made Naruto fall over in his flight, _**What? It's not like they'll stop unless they're properly sated. **_

_Are you nuts! _Naruto shouted, earning a laugh from the fox. _Wait! That gives me an idea! _

"Saiga, I got an idea about how to get out of this, but you gotta promise not to hate me!" Naruto said, looking over at his friend, who looked back at him desperately.

"Naruto, I'd strip bare assed naked if it meant getting away from them!"

"That's kinda part of the plan, but I'm gonna use an old Jutsu of mine that oughta knock every girl behind us for a loop." Naruto said, making Saiga cringe.

"Just _what_ do have in mind?"

Naruto grinned, "Ever heard of my _Oiroke no Jutsu_?"

Saiga sweat dropped, "I think I heard Kakashi mention it once. What are you...oh man, you wouldn't!"

"You got a better idea?" Naruto snapped, "If so, you better tell me because they're gaining on us!"

Saiga whimpered, "Please don't tell Ushio?"

Naruto blushed, "You think I want this getting out?!"

xXx

Tsunade watched as Naruto suddenly stopped his run, and turned to the mob. "What the hell's he doing?"

Shizune and Jiraiya looked closer as the boy started making hands signs.

xXx

"Look, he's stopped!" The Kunoichi in the lead shout gleefully, "He's finally going to accept us!"

Instead, Naruto grinned at them, "Sorry ladies, _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Over twenty Bushins popped into existence, and all of them formed a _Henge_ seal, "_Oiroke: Otokonoko Dōshi no Jutsu!" _

Each _Bushin_ transformed into a perfect, naked replica of either Naruto or Saiga, whom were both blushing furiously as they felt a wave of nausea sweep over them. But the Jutsu had the desired effect.

"_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_!"

xXx

"_Yowza_!" Tsunade yelped.

"_GAH_, Gaki, how could you!" Jiraiya cried in dismay, "Ruining such a wonderful Jutsu!"

"_AIE_!" Shizune's nose gushed a fountain of blood before the blushing kunoichi fell over in a dead faint. Tsunade and Jiraiya looked down at her, smirking as they saw the pleased smile on the younger woman's face.

"Look who's a little pervert!" Jiraiya chuckled.

"Yes, and if I were twenty years younger..."

"_Tsunade_!"

The blonde chuckled, "Come on, I'd best put an end to this." She rose from her seat and headed for the door, "Oh, and have Shizune send out a medical team to pick up those poor girls."

xXx

"We will _never_ speak of this again," Saiga growled as the two shinobi ran from the scene of at least forty downed women.

"Agreed," Naruto huffed, "I hope I never have to do that again!"

_**But I'll never let you forget it!** _Kurama howled with laughter.

"Fuck..." moaned Naruto as the headed for the other side of town.

xXx

"FUCK!" Boom.

"Stand still you little tramp!" Temari yelled, still chasing after the former Otonin. Tayuya looked over her shoulder, seeing the Suna kunoichi closing in on her.

"Not until you listen to me!" Tayuya screamed, leaping to another roof as Temari aimed another gust at her, "Just talk to the Hokage! She'll vouch for me!"

"Alright then, let's go see her!"

"Stop chasing me first!"

"Stop running first!"

"Hell no!" Tayuya jumped down to the ground in hopes of losing the irate woman in the crowd, who quickly dispersed seeing the spectacle was moving to the streets.

Just then a young man stepped out into the streets yawning loudly and looking up at the clouds lazily as Tayuya came barreling straight toward him.

Temari saw him first, however, "Shikamaru!" She yelled, catching the young Chunin's attention, "Catch that girl!"

Shikamaru, recognizing Temari's voice, for once, acted on pure instinct, and got into his fighting stance, forming the rat seal with his hands, "_Kagemane no Jutsu_!"

Tayuya, too late to avoid the shadow, screeched to a halt as the Jutsu possessed her shadow. "Aw shit, not again!"

"I've got you now!" Temari yelled from behind her, raising her fan for the next blow.

Tayuya went pale, and closed her eyes, "Naruto!"

"_Futon: Daitoppa!"_ A huge blast of wind pushed past her, but it wasn't Temari that had called the Jutsu. The wind that had been called knocked the blonde kunoichi off her feet, only strong enough to throw her off the attack, also causing Shikamaru to release his Jutsu on Tayuya, allowing her to sink to the ground. Tayuya could have cried when the familiar figure appeared in front of her, glaring at the two attackers.

"Just what the hell," Naruto growled as Temari and Shikamaru collected themselves, "Do you think you're doing to my girlfriend?"

xXx

After fifteen minutes of explaining, Tayuya was cleared of any further suspicions by Tsunade herself, who had had enough of all the foolishness that was going on. It was one thing for Naruto and Saiga to get chased around by a pack of flirtatious females, but for a full blown fight to break out between one of her kunoichi and a visiting embassador of Suna was an entirely different matter (She never mentioned that she had enjoyed the show for some time before acting).

Naruto declaration of Tayuya being his girlfriend, however, had been more than enough to stop the fight all together, and shocked all three parties into silence while Saiga, arriving a little late to the scene merely congratulated a still stunned Tayuya.

As for Shikamaru and Temari, they had been more surprised that Naruto was no longer the runt he had been three years ago, especially Temari, since she had once towered over the boy.

After stopping the fight, Naruto then proceeded to pick Tayuya up, bridal-style, and set her back on her feet, causing her to blush beyond red. Tsunade had arrived soon after just as Naruto was preparing to give Shikamaru and Temari a real piece of his mind, and fist, to put a true end to the whole fiasco.

Now a thoroughly embarrassed Tayuya found herself in a familiar position on Naruto's back as he carried the exhausted girl home. Naruto felt uneasy, though. She hadn't said a word to him the entire time, which put him on edge. Nor would she put her arms around his shoulders, or even look at him, for that matter. It was more than he could take!

Sighing, Naruto turned his head a little to look back at her, "Look, Tayuya-chan, I'm sorry if what I said made you mad. I just didn't know what else to say!"

Tayuya turned red once again, "You shithead, _why_ did you say it?"

"Because I was pretty damned pissed that you were being attacked. And by one of my friends, too! I mean, jeez! Did they even give you a chance to explain?"

Tayuya huffed, crossing her arms, "Fuck no!" Though Shikamaru had been the first to apologize, Temari had been a little more difficult, even going so far as to insult the red-head by saying she was merely using Naruto.

"See?" Naruto asked, seeing a bench in front of him, and decided to take a break, and letting Tayuya slide off his back and onto the bench to take the seat next to her. "And..." he blushed a little, scratching his cheek nervously, "A-after that k-kiss, I-I was kinda hoping that...well...maybe we could..."

Deciding he had had enough, Kurama roared, _**Stop stuttering like an idiot and say it,**_**_ Kit_!** Naruto winced at the volume of his voice.

Tayuya blushed, seeing where this was going. Clasping her hands in her lap, and looking down at them she said, "I-I'm not even sure how to be a girlfriend. you moron. A-a-and...Aw fuck I sound like an idiot!"

Naruto snorted out a laugh, earning a glare from her, but that changed when the blonde wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her close. "You'll never be an idiot...not to me."

This made her blush even harder, "Idiot," she leaned against him, "But I guess this makes you my idiot, doesn't it?" She wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest. "So...what's it mean to be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No idea," Naruto laughed, "We'll just have to figure that out as we go."

Kurama let out a huge sigh, covering his face with his paw, **_My little idiot's still got a long way to go!_ **

xXx

"This is too troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, looking over at Temari, who was walking by his side, "Why can't you just apologize and get it over with?" Temari huffed and said nothing, looking away from him with her hands on her hips. He sighed again. "Not only is Naruto pissed at both of us, but now Tsunade is making me the proctor for the final rounds of the Chunin exams as a punishment for my part. I wouldn't be surprised if she found a way to punish you as well..."

Temari turned and grabbing him by his vest, bringing him face down to her's, "What the hell am I supposed to do?! The last time we saw that woman, she was working with Orochimaru, and she nearly killed you!" She yelled, angrily, "I owe Naruto a _lot_, Shikamaru, including the life of my little brother. And what if she really is using him? She might try to hurt him!"

Shikamura smiled crookedly at her, despite her angry look, "You need to have a little faith in him. And Jiraiya-sama for that matter." He pointed out, deflating the girl's wrath. Shikamura saw a small victory in sight, and wrapped the girl in his arms. "You gotta realize that he spent three full years with her, and nothing happened. I even heard through the grape vine that he and that girl fought a demon to free the remaining Uzumaki and Saiga Uchiha from one of Orochimaru's compounds. Plus they've taken down some high ranking nukenins together."

Temari looked up at him, "Your point?"

"You don't go through stuff like that and not come out of it changed." Shikamaru smiled, "And Naruto can change anyone, given enough time. You know that better than anyone...well Gaara does."

Temari sighed in defeat, "Alright, I'' apologize properly when we see them again. Happy?"

The young Nara smiled, "Not quite."

"Wha-mph!" He leaned down and kissed her, silencing anymore protests she might have had. When he pulled back, Temari was blushing lightly with a slightly dazed look on her face. Shikamaru grinned a fair imitation of Naruto's trade mark foxy grin.

"I'm happy, now, though."

Temari snapped out of her daze, and glared up at him with a small pout, "You're so buying me dinner tonight."

Shikamaru grinned, "That's not so troublesome."

* * *

_**Well, that's chapter twelve, apart from a bit of craziness, not much happening in this one, except a few reunions and some drama. Well, at least it's fun, right?**_

_**Don't forget to review XD**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**The only thing I could think of doing to make the last chapter even more insane than it already was was if I added in Lee, but thinking about all that in one chapter gave me a supreme headache :/ So now that I've got Temari and Shikamaru out of the way for the time being, I feel it's time for Tayuya to meet the Leaf's Handsome Devil...cross your fingers and hope the village stays in one peace -_-**_

_**13: A Most Youthful Challenge**_

* * *

Tsunade was looking over a report that she'd recieved only moments ago from one of her ANBU, and did not like what she was seeing. Reports of strange shinobi in black cloaks roaming around the hidden villages, asking odd questions. Many were said to be in the bingo books as SS ranked criminals. Jiraiya stood behind her against the window he normally used to come and go. "See? I told you they'd be on the move soon."

Tsunade shot him a hardened look, "You don't need to remind me. Itachi and Kisame have already attacked us in search of a Jinchuriki and nearly found him if it wasn't for Kakashi and Gai." She sighed and laid the reports down to rub her temples, "Please, Jiraiya, tell me that he's strong enough to handle them!"

Jiraiya smiled and pushed off the wall to place a gentle hand on his old teammate's shoulder. "You don't have to worry so much, Hime-chan. He's his father's son in every way possible, with just the right amount of his mother in him to put an edge on the kunai."

"You're not just saying that," she asked, looking up at him, "Right?"

Jiraiya smirked, "I'd never lie about my godson's abilities. He'll make us both proud." He then headed for the door, "I need to head out and check out my spy network, if the Akatsuki even twitch an eye lash, then I wanna know about it."

Tsunade smiled at him, "You better come back, you old pervert."

He turned and blew her a kiss, "Don't I always?"

xXx

_**Kit, you really need to tell** **her**_, Kurama nagged for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening. Naruto ignored him, promising that he would tell her as soon as they got home. _A barbeque restaurant is not the place to talk about sex! _Naruto snapped. Kurama huffed and curled up to take a nap while the two budding love birds awaited their meal to cook.

Tayuya looked a little lost. Unfortunately some of the patrons were civilians that still viewed Naruto as the demon he contained, and were casting glares in his direction. She was torn between getting up from her seat to deck the idiots, or just sit quietly and try not to cause a seen. Naruto, who reached over to turn some of the meat, seemed unaffected by the looks he was getting.

Tayuya sighed sadly, "I don't know how you do it, Naruto."

Naruto set his chopsticks down, "Do what?"

She spread her hands out across the table, not wanting to draw a lot of attention. "The fucking stares you're getting. I know you set some of those idiots straight, but still..." Naruto reached out and took one of her hands in both of his, causing a blush to rise to her cheeks.

"Tayuya-chan," he said, raising his voice to a normal tone so those near them could hear, "I don't care what other people think anymore." This caused a few of the patrons to turn toward him slightly. The waiters also took an interest as they slowly made their rounds. Naruto went on, "Yeah, my dad kinda screwed me over because he sealed the fox inside me." Many, including Tayuya flinched as he said that. The fox always instilled fear in the villagers, but Tayuya was more concerned at the slight insult to his own father he'd just said. The Yondaime was still more than well-loved and respected. "I got over that a long time ago, though. I may not have had a good childhood, but I still made friends."

"Shithead," Tayuya said in warning.

"I met you, too." Naruto smiled, gripping her hand lightly. That made her stomach flutter, a feeling she'd never had before, but she liked it.

"Um, the meat's burning..." she said lamely, reaching for her chopsticks. It hadn't burned, but she needed the excuse to move her hand before Naruto noticed that her pulse had jumped when he said those words to her. Naruto smiled, for he had noticed, but said nothing as he started enjoying the meal. Seeing that Tayuya was avoiding some the vegetable on the grill, he picked up a pepper and held it out to her, grinning.

"Come on, Tayu-chan, they're good for you!" Naruto smirked as Tayuya turned as green as the pepper.

"Eek! Get that thing away from me!" Tayuya growled, pushing it away. "You know I hate peppers!"

Naruto kept the grin on his face as he chomped on the piece of food himself. "Then try the potatoes, they're always good!" Tayuya smiled at him and did as he suggested, taking a wedge and popping it into her mouth. "Good?"

"Yeah, fucking awesome!" She smiled, then snatched a piece of meat from him just as he was about to take a bite.

"Hey!"

Tayuya grinned as she chewed, "Sorry, but you ain't gettin' it back!" Naruto grinned at the little game she'd inadvertently started, and pulled a move he'd once seen Choji do, scooping up the remaining pieces of meat. "What the hell, that's not fair!" She cried as Naruto held the meat out of her reach.

xXx

Across the village at the front gates, four figures had just said their hellos to Kotetsu and Izumo as they made their way into the village. "Good to see you back again, Gai-san." Izumo said with a grin in the team's direction, "You won't believe who's back in the village, now!"

"Oh, and who might that be?" Maito Gai asked, halting his team.

Kotetsu grinned, "Naruto Na-mi-ka-ze!" He stressed the last name, drawing looks of astonishment from the team, especially Neji, who'd never believed the blonde shinob could have such a prestigious family.

However, Lee just flashed a dazzlingly bright smile, giving his _Good Guy_ pose, "Yosh, my most youthful friend has finally returned to the village! I must see for myself how he has grown in strength!"

Tenten, too late to recognize the look in his flaming eyes, watched as the energetic _Taijutsu_ specialist raced off at break-neck speeds. "Lee! We have to report in to complete the mission!" She yelled after him.

Neji sighed, "I should have known that this wouldn't be a peaceful day."

"Neji-kun, your attitude is most unyouthful," Gai said, smiling after his protegé, "Lee-kun has found in Naruto-kun what I have in Kakashi-san." Suddenly the two younger team members noticed a familiar Jutsu beginning as rays of golden light streamed out from behind their sensei. "A MOST YOUTHFUL ETERNAL RIVAL!" He yelled loudly, causing Neji and Tenten to cover their ears.

xXx

A giggling pair made their way out of the barbeque house, arm in arm, both cover in small drops of sauce, but happy none the less. Despite her doubts, Tayuya had had fun. The food, what they hadn't dropped in their little tug of war, had been good, and some of the people had started smiling at their antics, forgeting that Naruto was who he was and viewed them as a simple couple on a small date.

_A date_, Tayuya thought, _this is what people call a date, isn't it_? The thought gave her another one of those fluttering feelings that seemed to be happening a lot lately, making her blush as she leaned against Naruto's arm.

"Is there some place you'd like to go?" Naruto asked, "It's still a little early to be heading home."

Tayuya smiled up at him, "You know I don't know my way around the village yet. You lead, Shithead, I'll follow."

Naruto grinned, "We could always - "

_**Incoming!**_Kurama roared, staggering his host, which earned a yelp from Tayuya when Naruto grasped his ears. "Warn me before you _roar_ like that, Kurama!" He said aloud.

"What the fuck is going on, now?" Tayuya asked in annoyance. Naruto looked up and saw a billowing cloud of dust heading their way.

Naruto groaned, "Oh, no, not again!" He slumped over. Tayuya scowled. "If it's those crazy bitches again, I'll play my best tune for them!" She growled, reaching for her flute. Naruto was half-tempted to let her cast one of her _Genjutsus_ over the female mob, but Naruto knew that would have dire consequences for both of them if she did.

Suddenly, the dust cloud settled as something, or someone, shot off the ground and into the air. Naruto craned his neck to get a look at whoever it was, noticing lots of green...

"Oh boy," Naruto sighed.

"What the hell is it?" Tayuya asked.

"Wait for it," he sighed again.

"For what?" She asked.

"Three, two, - "

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" BOOM.

Another dust cloud soon rose as the figure made a shattering landing. Tayuya and Naruto coughed, waving the dust away from themselves as it began to clear. "Dammit, Lee!" Naruto coughed, "Can't you say hello like everyone else?"

"But how will I show my youthfulness in such a way?!" Rock Lee asked loudly. Tayuya rubbed her eyes, finally catching sight of their assailant. Shiny black hair in a bowl-style cut, thick, bushy eyebrows, black eyes, and a smile that could possibly blind the sun. "Naruto-kun, my most youthful friend, it is good to see finally back in the village again! When will you allow me a most youthful battle?!"

Naruto grimaced, "Give me a break, Lee! I just got done with the second half of the Chunin exams, and I'm on a date with my girlfriend for Kami's sake!"

Lee, seeming to only just notice Tayuya, blinked in surprise, "Oh, a thousand apologies, fair lady," he bowed low at the waist. Tayuya, not used to such mannerisms, hardly knew how to handle it. She looked to Naruto, who motioned for her to smile and brush it off, then made a pleading gesture, asking her to be gentle.

"Um, that's fine, I guess...Lee?" Tayuya said hesitantly.

Lee shot back up, giving her a smile which startled her, "Ah, I see you have heard of me. Yes, I am the village's Handsome Devil, Rock Lee is my name. Who, may I ask, are you?"

"T-Tayuya," she stuttered, becoming nervous around the energetic Chunin. She glanced at Naruto, giving him a '_get me outta here_' look.

"LEE!" Naruto looked up to see three familiar people coming toward them. One was a white-eyed young man he immediately knew as a Hyuga, and a good friend. Beside him was a girl with her hair tied up in buns with a large sealing scroll strapped to her back, and the other...

"Another one?" Tayuya muttered, looking at Lee and Gai's similarities. But her eyes fell on the young Hyuga. "Oh, no, not again!" She quickly hid behind Naruto in case this newcomer decided to attack her as well.

Neji, for his part, did recognize the girl hiding behind the blonde, but did nothing to signal an attack on her. His attention was more focused on the said blonde. To him, Naruto was barely recognizable, only with his blonde hair and whiskers as the dead give-away.

"Lee, you moron!" Tenten yelled, running up and clocking her teammate on the head, "You ran off before we could report to Tsunade-sama!"

"A-a-a thousand apologies Tenten-san," Lee said, rubbing the lump she'd given him, "I was merely greeting Naruto-san."

Tenten blinked, looking at the tall blonde in front of her, "Naruto? Is that _really_ you?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Come on, Tenten, I haven't changed _that_ much, have I?" A slight blush came over her cheeks, which immediately set Tayuya on edge. "But you guys have changed a lot!" Naruto went on, "Especially you, Neji."

"Me?" Neji asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Naruto nodded, smiling, "Yeah, three years ago, you radiated nothing but hate," Gai, Lee, and Tenten all looked at their teammate, who refused to meet their eyes, "But now, you seem at peace." Naruto finished. "It's good to see you again."

Neji smiled at that, "It's good to see you as well, Naruto." He looked at Tayuya, "Tell me, what's this young woman doing here?" Tayuya moved further behind Naruto, still unsure of the Hyuga's intentions.

But Naruto smiled, bringing his arm up around her shoulders, "She's part of the village now, Neji, and she's part of my new team."

"Yes," Lee yelled, "She is also the kindling that keeps his most youthful flames burning bright!"

"Huh?" Tayuya was confused.

"That's his way of saying that you're my girlfriend," Naruto smirked, rubbing her shoulders.

"Well done, Naruto-kun!" Gai said, giving him his Good Guy pose, "She will make a most youthful companion!"

"Does that mean you were pestering them while they were on a date?!" Tenten growled angrily, reaching for her scroll.

"No, you have it wrong, Tenten-san, I was merely asking Naruto when we might do battle to test our strength!" Lee said, not taking notice of Neji and Tenten's dead pan looks as he spoke.

"Lee," Gai said, clapping the boy on the shoulder, "I know you desire to test yourself against your eternal rival, but it is extremely unyouthful to intereupt such youthful lovers in their time together!"

"Yes, I understand, Gai-sensei! For my punishment I shall do one thousand laps around the village on my hands!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT, LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!" Lee jumped toward Gai, embracing him in a powerful man-hug.

"LEE!" Gai yelled with tears in his eyes. A sight that was enough to unsettle anyone.

"NOT NOW!" Roared Tenten, unsealing a bo staff from her scroll and knocking both sensei and student over their heads.

Neji bowed in Naruto and Tayuya's direction, "Sorry about that," he said as Tenten proceeded to drag them toward the Hokage mansion, "They get a little too excited at times."

Tayuya didn't know what to say to that, but Naruto just shrugged it off, "It's fine, Neji, but tell Lee if he wants a spar to meet me tomorrow morning at training ground number four. I could use the time to warm up on my Taijutsu."

"I'll do that, and I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige." Neji sighed, "More than happy, in fact."

xXx

"What happened to those two?" Tsunade asked as Team Gai entered her office. Both Lee and Gai had huge lumps on top of their heads, and being dragged behind Tenten with Neji following close behind them.

Tenten gave her an innocent smile, "Their flames of youth were getting a little too hot. I put them out."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at this, looking from the young kunoichi to Neji for an answer. Neji sighed, "They were hugging in public and harassing Naruto and his companion."

The blonde smiled, "That companion wouldn't happened to be a red-haired kunoichi, would it?" Tenten and Neji nodded. "Then you should know, now, Neji, that Tayuya-chan is a full-fledged member of Konoha, and very dear to our little knucklehead."

Neji remained skeptical, "Are we certain that she's not a spy?"

Tsunade sighed, "We are very certain, Neji, she was with the boy for three years, as I explained to Temari earlier this evening. She's the one that aided Jiraiya and Naruto in rescuing Saiga, and Akira's clansmen."

"Yes, but she - "

"I know what she's done," Tsunade said, "And I'm getting quite tired of explaining it. Danzo nearly started a rebellion in the council room, and Temari nearly took the poor child's head off. You should realize by now that if she had something planned she would have done it by now. Her curse mark is gone, so there's no way that Orochimaru can control her."

"Wait," Tenten said, feeling lost, "What are you talking about?" Tsunade sighed and quickly explained the girl's tale. Once she was done, the young weapons mistress looked a little stunned. "She's really part of the team that left Neji and the others in such bad shape?"

"She was," Tsunade relented, "But as I said, traveling with Jiraiya and Naruto has changed her for the better."

xXx

Tayuya fell backward onto her bed in sheer exhaustion after the day's events. "This was a fucking insane day!" She sighed. After their meeting with Team Gai, Naruto had suggested they simply head back home, which she readily agreed to. Meeting the seemingly insane team had completely worn her out. But smiling to herself, she admitted that it had been a good day in the end. Naruto had defended her not once but twice in front of Neji and Temari, and he had taken her out on a date of sorts, even if it had been cut short.

The door to their room slid open as Naruto walked in. Tayuya, quickly sat up, pulling her over sized shirt further down her are legs. "I thought you learned how to knock?!"

Naruto grinned, "I thought you learned how to where pajamas?"

Tayuya growled, "Very funny." She scooted back on the bed as he came closer, "Uh, what the hell are you doing?"

Naruto kept the grin on his face, "That's what I should say, Tayu-chan." She scowled at him as he sat down on the bed, "This is my bed, you know."

"Uh," Tayuya blushed as she realizd that he was right, she had unwittingly laid out on his bed. She made to hop up, but Naruto caught her with one arm, and held her against him. "W-what?"

Naruto smirked, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, my bed?" Still red, Tayuya shrieked as he plopped her back down on the bed, "What the fuck!" She was ready to strangle him, but instead found herself staring at him as he removed his shirt. _Oh, wow...h-he's ripped..._she thought, then shook her head to clear those thoughts out. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed," Naruto grinned, tossing his shirt to the floor, then blushed, "You..uh...you might want to...er...cover up?" He covered his face, making her wonder what his problem was, then he pointed at her. She followed his finger and saw that her shirt had ridden up her legs again...all the way up.

"Yeek!" Tayuya dove under the covers, "Don't look you pervert!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and slid into bed next to her, "If I'm such a pervert, Tayu-chan, then why don't you start wearing more clothes to bed?" Before she could answer, Naruto wrapped his arms around her and brought her against his chest. Her heart was pounding then, like a little rabbit when a fox was after it. As always, Naruto was warm, even through the blanket she could feel him. "Not gonna answer, huh?" He smirked.

"I-I...shouldn't I be sleeping over there?" She stammered nervously, hiding her face from him.

"You sleep with me almost every night, Tayuya-chan," Naruto said, surprising her into looking up, "What? Don't you think I've noticed? When you had a bad dream, or it was too cold, you'd always come to me." He smiled at her as her cheeks blossomed with heat, "To be honest, I've kinda gotten used to it."

Tayuya bit her lip, "You knew this whole time?" She asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Naruto snickered, "You would have beaten me up."

Tayuya couldn't help but laugh at that, "True." She sighed and wriggled closer to him, the blush still on her cheeks, "But this feels really nice." Naruto nodded in agreement, then thought back to what Kurama had been nagging him about all day.

_**Not all day,**_the fox huffed.

Naruto ignored him, saying, "Tayuya-chan, I need to tell you something."

"Hm?" Tayuya looked up at him, "What?"

_**Finally! This could have ended badly if you waited much longer!** _Kurama sighed, laying his head on his paws. He was watching the whole thing through Naruto's eyes.

Again, much the fox's annoyance, Naruto ignored him. "In a month or less, Kurama told me that his Chakra is gonna rise, and effect me somehow."

Tayuya widened her eyes, "Are you gonna be okay?"

Naruto nodded, "I'll be fine, but I want you to stay away from me when it happens."

"What?!" Tayuya snapped, "Why?!

Naruto gulped, "Because I don't want you getting hurt."

"Na-ru-to," Tayuya growled dangerously.

Watching the girl's face, Kurama grinned, _**Better tell her the truth, Kit, if you value your manhood.**_

The blonde sighed, and laid a kiss against her forehead, "Because, Tayuya-chan, Kurama says I may become violent."

_**Kit.** _

"You're leaving something out," she reached up and flicked him on the nose, "Just fucking tell me."

"Alirght already," Naruto sighed, "Jeeze, you and Kurama are tough to please." Tayuya kept the glare on her face. "Look, when this happens, I'm basically going into what Kurama says is mating season for the foxes. And I won't be able to control my...urges...instincts? I have no idea. I just know it would be better for you not to be around."

Tayuya, for the most part of the explanation, was slightly stunned, "You mean you're...turning into a horny fox?" Her eye started twitching.

"Not that I'm aware of," Naruto sighed, "Kurama told me I could either lock myself in my room for a day until it passes, or..." He trailed off, not sure how to put the next bit.

"Or what, Shithead-kun, spill it." Tayuya growled, "If you're have another option then - "

"I need to find a _mate_, as he put it," Naruto said as a blush rose to his face, "I think I can handle the first option alright as long as there isn't a girl around to tempt me."

"Oh." Tayuya blushed, "So, you need a fuck buddy for the day?"

Naruto blushed brighter than her hair, "That's it, basically."

_**I like her version better,**_Kurama chuckled, sending a little wave of emotion through his host, _**Let's liven things up a bit, shall we? **_

_Oh, shit, what the hell did you just do?! _Naruto yelled mentally as he felt something starting to come over him. His body felt a lot warmer, almost hot! Tayuya, taking no notice of the excess heat, was giving his face a small tug. "So? What the fuck's so bad about spending all day in bed with your girlfriend?" She asked, bring his attention back to her.

"Wh-what was that?" He asked, a little stunned.

Tayuya scowled, "W-well, it'll be uncomfortable for you, won't it?"

"Tayuya-chan," he said, "It won't be me when that happens. I'll be under the influence of Kurama's Chakra."

_**Grr, Naruto, what's taking you so long?**_Kurama grumbled to himself, **_You can't be that much of a late bloomer!_ **Kurama's tails were swishing to and fro with anticipation. The emotional waves he was sending through his host were that of desire. By now, any healthy male body would be reacting.

Naruto, however, was feeling strange, and extremely hot for some reason. He was mentally cursing Kurama, much to the fox's amusement, for whatever he'd done to him. And the fact that Tayuya, to him, was looking like the most beautiful girl on the planet at the moment, was not helping his condition. A fact that did not go unnoticed by said girl.

"Oi, why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, a little embarrassed that he was staring at her.

"L-like what?" His voice seemed a little husky, which made Tayuya shiver.

"Like that," she pointed between his eyes, "Like your about to fucking eat me or something."

_What a good idea, _Naruto thought dreamily, and leaned down. Tayuya felt him move and looked up just as his face was right next to hers, brushing her lips against his.

She gasped in shock, which he took for an invitation, and crushed his mouth against hers in a searing kiss. Tayuya's gasp quickly turned into a sigh as she melted into the kiss, moving her lips along with his in gentle caresses. His hands started roaming her body through the blanket, making her shiver more when he touched a sensitive spot near her lower back.

Tayuya's hands came alive as well, tangling in the blonde's unruly hair, and pulling herself closer to deepen the contact between them. Feeling bold, Tayuya ran her tongue across his lip, prodding him for entry. Naruto fought back a grin as he opened for her and fought back with his own tongue. Then he trailed his down her back, earning a surprised gasp from her, giving him the a chance to breathe before moving his lips across her cheek and giving her ear a gentle nip with his teeth.

Tayuya's heart was hammering into her ribs almost painfully as he continued his assault, attacking her neck raking his sharp teeth across her skin. The girl shivered in delight at the little waves of pleasure he was sending through her, wondering what had gotten into the blonde Genin, but not really caring as her breath hitched when the blanket was pulled away from her body and felt his hands touching the bare skin of her back.

Naruto started to feel his head starting to clear then as he reached around to cup her breast under her shirt, startling both of them. _Definitely not flat, _Naruto thought as Tayuya went totally red in the face.

Kurama, however, was laughing his fur off. **_I think you went a little too far, Kit! Look what you did to her!_ **

"What?" Naruto said aloud, "T-Tayuya-chan, you okay?" The girl in question didn't answer. It was then that Naruto noticed a small trail of blood running from her nose. "Um, Tayuya-chan? O-oi, anyone home?" He gave her a light shake, but he soon found that Tayuya had fainted dead away.

Kurama was laughing away as his host tried to revive the kunoichi, _**You silver-tongued devil. Hoho, just wait unti you go wild on her!**_

Naruto shuddered, _Not so sure I'm looking forward to that. Just look at her, she's out cold! _

_**All the better,**_Kurama sighed sadly, _**Remember you have that spar with Bushy-brow tomorrow. You're going to need some energy for that. **_

Naruto sighed in disappointment, more than flustered by a growing problem produced by their efforts, but admitted the fox was right, and laid his head down next to hers...then remembered just who was responsible for the whole mess. _Wait a minute!_ _This is your fault,_ _Kurama, you over grown flea bag! _

_**Bahahahaha!**_

* * *

_**Hehe, now how could I pass that up? XD Anyway with this chapter, I'm well over 200 + reviews, which is a first for me. So I'm well and truly happy for this story. As for all you die head NaruxTayu fans out there, I would like to recommend a story that actually inspired me to write this one. So I suggest to you all the story Yellow and Red makes  by Digitize27.  
**_

_**So until the next chapter, which I'm sure you've guessed will have a little more action in it, sayounara!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**To answer a question that's been asked for a while now, the Chunin exams will start at the end of this chapter. So no worries. Also, this chapter may be lacking in a few things, more or less it just random snippets for the remaining month before the Chunin Finals. So bear with me, this will be the last chapter before the finals and I can seriously pick things up!**_

_**14: Arrival**_

* * *

When Naruto and Tayuya arrived at training ground number two, they found Team Gai's members already there waiting for them. While Lee looked stoked and ready to face down an Onboo, Neji and Tenten looked like they wanted more sleep. The ever energetic Green Beast was happily doing push-ups while the pair moved toward them.

Tayuya snickered at the sight of Tenten leaning against a dozing Neji. Despite his obvious suspicions of her, she found it hard to dislike the stoic Hyuga while in this situation. That is until...

"NARUTO! MY MOST YOUTHFUL OPPONENT!" Lee yelled loudly, startling his sleeping teammates awake. Naruto winced at such a loud greeting so early, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey, Lee," Naruto smirked, "Not so loud, ne? We don't want any complaints from the village, do we?" Neji and Tenten looked over at him in gratitude while Lee bowed in apology.

"Well, now that you're here," Neji said, getting up, and dragging Tenten with him, "Shall we begin?"

"Yes," Lee said excitedly, "Let us begin!"

"Fine with me," Naruto smiled.

"Gonna fight alone?" Tayuya asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Sure, I've wanted to spar against him since Tsunade got his legs fixed up!" Naruto said, cracking his knuckles.

Tayuya rolled her eyes, "You men and your pissing contests. What's next, fighting with the Hokage?"

Naruto pouted, "The last time I did that she flicked me on the head and sent me flying."

Tayuya went wide-eyed at that, "Seriously?"

"Yup," he said, stepping up to Lee, "Let's go!"

Lee grinned at the blonde for a moment, then disappeared on the spot. Naruto fell into a defensive stance, keeping an eye out for his opponent. Tayuya wisely chose to hurry over to where Neji and Tenten were watching, nervous as she was about the young Hyuga, just as Lee reappeared in front of Naruto. The downward kick that would have sent the blonde to the other side of the village, slammed into Naruto's crossed arms. Lee grinned as his attack was blocked, then spun around with his right leg aimed at his ribs.

Naruto's movement to block him was so fast that Neji nearly missed it. Using his left elbow and forearm the blonde blocked and pushed the limb away and lashed out with a fast roundhouse kick. Lee managed to block him in turn, vanishing in a flash, only to come spinning back down at him from above. Naruto lept away. Lee crashed into the ground, making the ground erupt around the point of impact.

Neji was, not for the first time, astonished by the two shinobi in front of him. Watching as Lee pulled his leg free of the rumble he'd created, looking over where the blonde shinobi was landing. Smiling at each other, both disappeared, clashing mid-air, trading blow after blow, yet neither could land a hit on the other.

"Amazing," Neji said, activating his Byakugan, "Just three years and he's matching Lee blow for blow. Just what the hell did Jiraiya do to him?"

Tayuya looked over at the Byakugan user, "Not just him," she said, smiling fondly as the two flashed to the ground in front of them for a moment, only to leap away and re-engage, "A lot of what's happened to him is what he did to himself."

"Do you mean he pulled a Lee on us and trained himself into the ground?" Tenten smirked, then giggled, "That I can see happening, actually."

Tayuya turned her smile on the girl, "He did train himself into the ground at times, but he has more experience in real fights than he does in spars." She grinned, flashing a victory "V" at them, "We've both taken down a lot of nuke-nins over the last three years that were well beyond Jonin level."

"Jonin level?!" Both teammates said at once.

"Fuck yeah!"

BOOM.

Both Naruto and Lee skidded back as their last blow sent them away from each other. Naruto was grinning ear to ear, just as Lee was. Naruto brought his hands up into the ram seal, "Why don't we take the kiddy gloves off, eh, Lee?"

Lee nodded and reached down to unwrap his leg weights, letting them fall from his legs. Tayuya's eyes widened as the set of bands seemed to sink into the ground. _Is this guy fucking nuts? How heavy are those things? _Naruto grinned, "_Kai, san_." (_**Release, three**_) Under his clothing, three seals glowed, two on his legs, and one on his chest, releasing a massive amount of weight that he'd set for them.

Tayuya gulped, seeing Naruto's feet seeming to float off the ground. "Ah shit, this is gonna be nuts!"

Tenten looked from her to the blonde, "What? What do you mean? And why is he floating like that? What the hell's going on?!"

"Wind Chakra!" Neji gasped.

Lee grinned wider at his opponent, "It would seem that you have grown very strong, my friend." He held out his right arm, and placed his left behind his back in his favorite stance, "Come, show me what you can do!"

Naruto gave his foxiest grin, "You asked for it, Bushy-brow. Here I come!" A blast of wind erupted from beneath both shinobi as they charged each other again.

xXx

_Some four hours later... _

"Honestly you two, can't I have _one_ peaceful day in my village, just one?" Tsunade growled as she took in the sight before her, which was one Genin and one Chunin with varying injuries from black eyes to open wounds from supposedly slamming into trees. Both Naruto and Lee grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of their heads in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Baa-chan."

"A thousand apologies, Hokage-sama."

"Morons!" _BONK BANG!_

"Ouch!"

"What the hell, Baa-chan!"

Tsunade's eye began twitching, "Don't _Baa-chan_ me! Ever since you got back to the village its been nothing but chaos wherever you go! First that incident with you and Tayuya causing a riot at the dango shop with Anko, then running through the village causing even more trouble for the ANBU squad because of a civil dispute. Destroying said dango shop, and now this!" She cracked her knuckles, "What I should do is knock you both all the way to Suna!"

"It was just a sparing match!" Naruto argued, rubbing the aching lump on his head.

"No," Tsunade scowled, "A sparing match is a friendly fight against people who are holding back. What you two did was a full blown match!" She yelled, blasting both young shinobi's ears.

While the lecture was going on, Tayuya, Tenten, and Neji were simply watching from the hall as Tsunade lectured their friends. Thoguh, the three of them hadn't come out of it unscathed. All of them had a few scrapes and bruise here and there. Neji had come out of it with the worst of it, a blow to his ego. Somehow, when the match had spilled out, both had shinobi landed a solid kick to his backside.

"It was not meant to be such a youthful match, Hokage-sama," Lee said, bowing his head, "We merely let our flames of youth burn to brightly."

"I don't care!" Roared the Slug Sannin, then looked straight at Naruto, "This is a direct order, Naruto! One more mishap, and so help me, you, Tayuya, and Saiga will be placed on the Tora mission for a solid two months! With half-pay!"

"What!"

"Why the hell are you putting this on me!" Tayuya yelled when she heard her, "Naruto's the one that caused this one!"

Tsunade rounded on the girl, glaring down at her and scaring the girl into hiding behind Tenten. "You're just as much to blame. As I recal both incidents at the dango shop were your doing, as well as chasing Naruto around the village and hurling kunai and shuriken at him all the while."

"Ehehe," she stuck her tongue out, bonking herself on the head lightly, giving Tenten a slight urge to sneeze.

"Don't _ehehe_ me, because you're just as guilty as he is!" Tsunade growled, "For the next month until the Chunin finals, you two are to stay out of trouble! And I don't care how you do it! Stay indoors, read a book, fuck, I don't care! Just no more destruction to the village!"

"Fuck?!" Tayuya blushed as red as her hair, "We haven't been dating that long!"

"Who cares!" Tsunade yowled, thoroughly frazzled, "Now get out of here! And not another peep out of either of you!"

xXx

"That was ridiculous," Tayuya growled as she and Naruto strolled down the street after Tsunade was done with them. "How the fuck is it that I get my chops busted for something you did?"

Naruto chuckled, "Comes with the territory of dating the most unpredictable shinobi in Konoha." She punched him lightly in the shoulder, making him laugh. "Oh, come on, Tayuya-chan, you know it's not as bad as all that? Things can get pretty boring if nothing's going on. I think I'd actually want the catch Tora mission if I didn't hate cats so much."

Tayuya scoffed, "Catching fucking fur ball can't be that fucking hard!"

Naruto shivered at the memories of said cat scratching his face off, "You'd be surprised. That is one nasty cat."

Tayuya sighed, taking his word for it, "So what now?"

Naruto thought for a little while, then grinned, "I think I'll work on a new Jutsu I've been wanting to learn." He placed his arms behind his head, "You got anything you wanna work on?"

"My tan?" Tayuya suggested with a grin. Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "I guess I could do with a few more Jutsu in arsenal. My Suiton could use some work as well."

"See?" Naruto grinned, "We may be strong, but you can't expect us to just breeze through the exams. Those Kumo nins have me a little worried." He said, thinking back to the team Tayuya had knocked out during the Forest of Death challenge. "I could sense a lot of Chakra from all of them. And we don't know about the other other two teams."

Tayuya nodded, "I guess, but..." A small blush rose to her cheeks.

"But what?" Naruto asked.

"Do you think we'll have time for another date?"

xXx

Looking down over the village from the top of a mountain, Jiraiya felt a small sense of pride as his eyes fell on the Hokage monument. Tsunade's newly added visage right next to his former student. "That honestly looks pretty good." He said to himself. "I can just picture what face will be next to her's in the future. Naruto will make a fine Hokage someday."

Turning to continue on his way, he also felt a sense of foreboding. Like something was coming. A storm that he wouldn't be able to withstand. "Heh, maybe I'm just imagining things." He said, then stretched his arms out. "This shouldn't take too long, and I should be back for the final exam tournament. Gahahaha! I can't wait to see the look on Tsunade's face when she see's those two in action!"

xXx

Two weeks later found Jiraiya in a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire sitting at a little stand enjoying a small dish of Sake. The older man who tended the stand smiled at the Sannin, "It's good to see you back here again, Jiraiya-sama, but I half-expected to see those two younglings with you again."

Jiraiya smirked, "Sorry, Ji-san, but I left them in the village this time around." Then the smirk disappeared, "So, what have you heard about them?"

"Hm," the old man nodded, "From the rumors that have been floating, there's two, maybe three heading for the village right now." Jiraiya nodded, listening closely, "One of them for sure is a short fellow that's always hunched over, and the other is rather hard to miss. He's a young man with bright yellow hair that could match the boy of your's. He also wears a monical eye patch with telescopic lenses."

"Do you know what villages they were associated with?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hm, the short one wore what looked like an old Suna hitai-ate, while I believe the blonde fellow wore one from Iwa." The old vendor said, casting a glance up at the Sannin, "I would be wary of that one. From what I hear, they're both dangerous men, but this Iwa fellow is said to use exploding clay for his Jutsu."

xXx

_Meanwhile, back in Konoha_...

Naruto was panting heavily from exhaustion looking around at the training area behind his home. Many of the trees were battered and marked with gouges from kunai and shuriken. A smile played at his lips. _Three weeks, and I've almost got the hang of it!_ He thought.

Inside the seal, Kurama was also pleased at his host's progress. **_I must admit that you are doing well, Kit. That Jutsu is well beyond most shinobi, even that one-eyed sensei of yours. Your wind manipulation is doing well, too. _**

_I have Baa-chan to thank for that, _Naruto smiled, _She had a lot of scrolls on wind manipulation, as rare as it is in this village. Too bad I don't have time to learn a few different elements besides wind. A Katon no Jutsu would really help me along. _

_**Thinking of using your clones for colaborations?** _Kurama chuckled, _**Not a bad idea considering it was**_**_ your's_.** Naruto grumbled while the fox laughed at him.

"Oi, Shithead-kun!" He looked up and saw Tayuya coming toward him. She was smiling, and looking pleased with herself. "How's training?"

"Great," he gave her the thumbs up, "Just finished up. What about you?"

"Same here," she smiled, "I was getting a few last minute pointers from Kakashi on a few things. He does have a does have an affinitey for all five elemental Justsus, after all." She said, sighing as she reached him, "But damn he put me through the ringer! I never knew he could be that driving!"

"Hehehe," Naruto chuckled, "He can be a slave driver when he wants to be."

"Fuck yeah," she said, "But at least he taught me what I wanted to know." She grinned at him, "I could kick your ass in the finals now if I wanted to."

"In your dreams," Naruto smirked, "But hey, we'll see what happens, right?"

"Yeah we will," she said, reaching out for his right arm with hers, "Think we've got time to go grab a bite? I'm starving!"

"Ichiraku's?" Naruto smirked, hopefully.

"Sure," she grinned, "At least we won't get into any trouble there!"

"Hey! We've done great so far!" Naruto grinned, "After that sparring match with Lee, no one wants to mess with me."

"Weaklings," Tayuya giggled, tugging him toward the house, "By the way, what happened to that little gaki that you told me about? You know, the Sandaime's grandson?"

Naruto broke into a fond grin, "You mean Konohamaru? Haha, I haven't seen him since I we got here, so he must be busy with all his missions now that he's a full-fledged shinobi!"

xXx

As the pair made their way to Ichiraku Ramen, arm in arm, Tayuya got glare after glare from the young female population. Thanks to her presence, the civilian girls kept their distance as did some of the kunoichi, though some of them were more persistent than others. Some even _Henged_ into civilians and tried bumping into her or Naruto at times. Both dodged them easily until they sat down at the little stall.

Ayame was delighted as always to see the couple, having met Tayuya after Tsunade had gotten down with their lecture weeks ago. "My otouto finally has a girlfriend!" The young Ichiraku had squealed when she learned of their relationship. Teuchi had laughed as his daughter proceed to thoroughly embarrass the two, but over the next few weeks, she and Tayuya came to like each other fairly well, going as far to exchange somewhat embarrassing stories about the blonde, much it his dismay.

"What'll it be tonight?" Teuchi asked upon seeing his two favorite customers.

"I'll have the special," Naruto said, grinning.

"Pork, miso ramen for me!" Tayuya said happily.

Ayame smiled as she got started on their orders, "So, excited? The finals are just a week away!"

"Damn right we are!" Tayuya said, grinning at her friend, "I'm totally going to kick Shithead's ass!"

Naruto scoffed, "Don't start that again!"

"Ha, you're just scared!" Tayuya smirked, "I bet you won't even be able to touch me in our match!"

"Provided you don't get knocked out before then!" Naruto laughed, even as Tayuya punched his arm while Ayame cooed at them.

"You two are so cute!" She said, "Oh, when do I get a sweet lover?!"

Teuchi chuckled, "Tried that scar-faced fella that used to come in here with Naruto-kun all the time? He seemed like a nice guy."

Naruto choked, "You mean Iruka-sensei? He's like my dad!" He grinned at Ayame, "I think you two would look good together!" Ayame smiled as she tried to hide the blush on her face.

"Naruto-niisan!"

"Eh?" Naruto turned around just as a grey blod slammed into him, "Wawawawah! Who's that! Get off me!"

"Naruto-niisan!" Said two more voices, as he caught sight of a boy with glasses, and a dripping nose, and a girl with orange-red hair tied up in large pigtails.

"Udon, Moegi?" Naruto smiled, then grabbed a hold of the blob clinging to him, "Konohamaru? Is that you?!"

The boy grinned at him in an imitation of his own foxy grin, "Long time, no see, Nii-san!"

Tayuya smiled at the boy, "This is the gaki you told me about? He's a lot taller than I thought he would be."

"Hey!" The boy sneered, "You pickin' a fight!"

Teuchi laughed, "Just as scrappy as a certain Genin I know. He took after you when you left the village, though no one could cause as much chaos with the ANBU as you could in the old days!"

Naruto grinnned, "Of course, I'm the king of pranks, no one could beat me!"

And so the evening proceeded with the young Genin team catching up with Konohamaru's hero. Moegi warmed up to Tayuya shyly, even in admiration when Konohamaru showed off his version of the _Oiroke no Jutsu, _and Tayuya smacked the boy over the head, which was quickly followed by a ladle thrown by an outraged Ayame, who was trying to clean up the blood from her father's nose.

It wasn't until Ebisu came looking for his team that things got weird. The haughty demeanor of the Jonin always put Naruto on edge, mainly because the man was the same as most of the villagers. A cold glare from the man told the blonde that he still viewed him as the demon fox that he held prisoner. Tayuya noticed this, too, but chose to make it known that she didn't care.

"The fuck's your problem, Glasses, never seen a Jinchuriki before?" Tayuya snapped, earning a gasp from Ayame and Teuchi, and looks of curiosity from the younger Genin. Naruto kept eating his ramen, not really caring about the questions to come. He knew that the Ichiraku family knew about his tenant, but Konohamaru, and his friends...

"Hey," Udon asked, sniffling, "What's a Jinchuriki?"

It was a wide-eyed Moegi that supplied the answer, "I think she means a demon container...but Onee-san, why did you call Naruto-nii that?"

"Because I am one," Naruto sighed, setting down his chopsticks, and looking up at Ayame and Teuchi, "I've known for a while. Not only am I the Yondaime's son, but I'm also what some in this village consider a weapon."

All three Genin turned their eyes on the blonde shinobi, Konohamaru being the main focus of his attention. "Nii-san? Y-you're not really a demon are you?"

"Nope," he said, "Not the last time I checked. But that doesn't stop some people from saying that I am." He sent a pointed look at Ebisu, who had remained quiet since Tayuya had pinned him.

"So...you're just like everyone else?" Udon asked.

"No he's not," Tayuya said, smiling, and latching onto his arm, "He's got the biggest badass in the world for a girlfriend!"

"_AW_!" Ayame and Moegi cooed.

"Gross," said Konohamaru, while Udon looked slightly jealous.

"How rude," Ebisu said, pushing up his glasses, making his presence known, "You were always a bad influence on the honorable grandson before, and now you have this woman by your side."

Naruto gave the man a glare when Konohamaru looked down, "At least I know him by name, Ebisu-teme. All you care about is the fact that you're responsible for the Sandaime's grandson, and not Konohamaru Sarutobi." The boy looked up, beaming at him. But Naruto wasn't done yet. "I may be the prison that keeps the Kyuubi contained, but that does not mean I am the beast himself. And just because Konohamaru is the old man's grandson, that doesn't mean he'll be greater or any less of a great shinobi like he was."

"Hmph, not if he's learning things like that ridiculous sexy technique you taught him." Ebisu said haughtily, smirking.

Naruto smirked right back, "I was actually thinking of teaching him some of my father's techniques. I can already tell he has the Chakra capacity for the _Rasengan_, maybe even the _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_."

"You really think so?!" Konohamaru asked excitedly, giving his best puppy dog eyes he could manage.

Naruto reached out and rubbed his head, "Only under the supervision of Ebisu." This shocked everyone present. "And I won't show you any favoritism. If I teach you something, I'll teach you all. And you should know," he looked at the Jonin, who was still a little shocked at the blonde's words, "Ebisu here knows the_ Kage Bushin no Jutsu_ as well, so you ask him for pointers."

Ebisu shook himself out of his stupor, "You really shouldn't encourage him, Naruto. The shadow clone technique alone is far beyond him."

"If you don't encourage him," Naruto said, "Then how will he grow?" The stumped the man. It was actually a good question. Encouraging someone as young as Konohamaru would certainly turn the boy in the right direction.

"I can try, can't I?" Konohamaru asked, "Oji-chan used the Jutsu, too. Why can't I try?"

"W-well, Honorable - "

"My name's Konohamaru!" He snapped, "And Oji-chan is dead, so I'm not the Hokage's grandson anymore! I'm just another shinobi! So stop calling me that!"

Ebisu, putting his hands up, was desperate to find a way out of the situation, and noticed Naruto mouthing something to him. "Uh...the ramen's on me tonight?"

"Really?" The young trio asked, "Awesome!" With that they all returned to their own meals.

"Thanks," Ebisu sighed to the blonde as he took a seat.

Naruto grinned evilly, "Don't thank me just yet, you'll be picking up mine _and_ Tayuya's tab as well."

xXx

Tsunade smiled happily as she waited in her office to greet her guests. It had actually been a quiet month like she had hoped. Though she the odd little complaint from Ebisu about being black mailed into an outrageous debt at Ichiraku's Ramen, but she had let that slide. She hadn't ever been all that fond of the sunglasses-wearing Jonin, so a small joke on Naruto's part was fine by her.

As for said Genin, she had heard that he had been teaching the young Sarutobi heir a few of his techniques. At first the idea had worried her, but after sending one of her ANBU guard to oversee one of their sessions, she gotten the report back that it was a normal training day, as any other Jonin might train their Genin. Apparently Naruto was a fine instructor for the boy and his team, despite Ebisu's worries.

_Now it's finally time to see what that little knucklehead of mine has up his sleeve,_ she thought happily as she heard a knock on her door. Shizune poked her head in a moment later, "Tsunade-sama, the Raikage, Kazekage, and Tsuchikage have arrived. We're awaiting your arrival at the stadium."

Tsunade smiled as she rose from her seat, "Wonderful, I'll be along in a moment. In the meantime, please have some refreshment bought up for all of us. Sake, and whatever foods they may like."

"Right away, Tsunade-sama." She smiled, and stepped out.

The Godaime was excited about the day to come. Naruto would be showing his growth, as would Tayuya, and Saiga for that matter. Along with one other team of Konoha Genin, there were twelve contestants, and some, if not all, would become Chunin!

* * *

**_So this wasn't my best chapter, more like a filler than anything else, but hey, we're finally getting to the good bits! Things are about to get as insane as I am! XD Also, does anyone know of any good NaruxSesame fics? I can't seem to find any :p_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**As I feared, the last chapter wasn't as good as I could have wrote it, but not to worry, I shall endeavor to do better! MY FLAMES OF YOUTH SHALL NOT BE EXTINGUISHED!**_

_**Staff member: I'd like to apologize. Since he feels he did so poorly on the last chapter, Ryoshi-san has gone...a little wacky.**_

_**A little? I'm insane!**_

_**15: Growth Part 1: Hakai Fuin**_

* * *

Naruto was practically floating as he and Tayuya stood in front of the roaring crowd amidst the three other teams. Above them all were four of the five Kage, Tsunade looking down at him with a small hint of pride with Jiraiya, surprisingly, right beside her beaming down at him. Sakura stood off to the side beside a happy Shizune, along with the strangest character Naruto had ever laid eyes on. He resembled the Raikage in looks, but it seemed like the man couldn't stand still to save his life, and appeared to be dancing.

Ay looked a little annoyed at the man's antics, and Naruto felt that he and this man would get along fairly well if they spoke. Gaara was also looking happy, for him at least, as he gave a small wave to his friend, not wanting to draw any attention. Beside him stood a familiar brunette that Naruto swore he'd seen before. She had a slight blush on her face from what he could see, and seemed to gravitate around the Kazkage like Tayuya always did with him...

Oh, that's got to be Matsuri, Naruto thought happily, watching Temari speak to the girl in question. The two looked as if they were on good terms with each other.

Beside Gaara sat the diminutive Onoki glaring down at the Genin. Naruto didn't know whether or not the deaths of most of his Genin had put him in a foul mood or not, but at the moment, he knew the old man wouldn't try anything that could, and would, prompt an all out war with the Leaf village.

Suddenly, Tsunade stood, stepping to the edge of the railing, "Welcome one and all to this year's first Chunin exam!" Her words elicited a loud roar from the crowd. Naruto saw the Daimyo's clap their fans against their wrists lightly. "Today, we see the fruits of two villages, our own Konohagakure no Sato, and our friends from Kumogakure no Sato!" Another, yet louder, roar from the crowd erupted, prompting Ay to stand and wave to the crowd himself with a huge grin on his face.

"Though it is unfortunate that our neighboring villages aren't able to participate in this tournament this year," she cast an apologetic glance toward Gaara, who seemed fine with the turn of events, and Onoki, who growled under his breath, "We have twelve fine young Genin before us, ready to show us their talents." She smiled down at Naruto, who grinned back, "So, without further delay, let's begin the Chunin final exam!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, but how do we know who we're fighting?" He whispered to Tayuya, and Saiga, who stood beside her. "They never had us draw lots last month."

Tayuya shrugged, "Fuck if I know."

"It's a random selection," Saiga said, grinning, pointing toward the Kage booth, "See that board behind them? Two Genin pop up and the fight's on."

"Huh, just like the prelim I went through the first time." Naruto grinned, "This'll make things more interesting." He took a look around at the other teams.

The one other team of Konoha Genin looked to be promising, seeing that one of them looked like a Hyuga, from her clothing, but the other two he couldn't place. None of the other clans had children old enough to become Genin yet. Apart from the newly established Uzumaki clan, the Hyuga seemed to be the largest out of the clans. But now that he looked, one of the other Genin did look like an Uzumaki. He was a tall, thin boy with short blood-red hair tied back in a pony-tail. His face looked a little similar to Akira, the elected clan head.

"Oi!" Tayuya elbowed him in the ribs, "They're starting!" Naruto's attention snapped up to the board where names were already beginning to blur. He was already starting to feel edgy with excitement. And suddenly...

"Saiga Uchiha against Takuzou Uzumaki!" Tsunade announced proudly, "The rest of you, please proceed to the balcony to await your turn!"

"Damn!" Naruto snapped his fingers, "No luck!" Tayuya rolled her eyes and hauled him away, waving at their friend as he took his place in the arena.

Saiga watched them go in amusement, then turned to face his opponent. Takuzou looked to be a _Kenjutsu_ user, judging from the two short tanto blades at his hips. Saiga dropped into his Goken stance, now sure what to expect.

"Begin!"

Takuzou disappeared, leaving Saiga searching for him, "Dammit he's fast!"

"Too fast for you." Saiga turned in time to see him standing behind him with one sword raised, "_Suiton: Ōuzu Matoi no Jutsu!_" Water started swirling around the blade in a massive vortex.

Saiga's eyes went wide, "How?! There's no water here!"

"Fool, water is everywhere!" Takuzou roared, and brought the vortex blade crashing down. Saiga rolled out of the way, barely managing to dodge. "The air, the plants, my own body, I can draw water from _anywhere_!"

"Just what I need," the Uchiha grumbled, flashing his hands signs, ram, horse, dragon, rat, ox, tiger, "_Katon: Karyū Endan!_" Saiga exhaled a blazing inferno at his feet, willing them to take the shape of a mighty dragon, which then roared and lunged at the young Uzumaki. Takuzou lept into the air as the dragon's jaws snapped down on the spot he'd just vacated, raising his sword to strike again.

"_Suiton: Daisuisen!" _The water around his sword took the shape of a drill; he plunged the blade at the roaring fire dragon, slashing the head clean off, killing the flames.

_Up in the stands... _

"By Kami this is a match!" Said the Fire Daimyo delightedly, "I'd all but given up hope about the Uchiha, but this young one is just as powrful as one that has the Sharingan! Someone bring me Kakashi!"

Said Jonin appeared a moment later in a swirl of leaves, "You summoned me, Lord?"

"Yes, Kakashi-san, I wanted you to tell me about these two boys in the arena right now." The fat man said, "I assumed you helped this Saiga, but what about this Uzumaki child? This is my first time seeing one in action."

"Ah, yes, well you see, sir, the Uzumaki are a powerful clan in the sense that they all have unusual Chakra abilities, and they are rumored to be long-lived." Kakashi said, motioning to the fight, "And as you can see, they're proficient in _Kenjutsu_ to a degree that no other Leaf shinobi can ever hope to achieve."

"Yes," said the Daimyo, stroking his chin, "And this Uchiha boy, even without his Kekei Genkai he is a powerful shinobi, but would you say the one clan is superior to the other?"

Kakashi shook his head, "I wouldn't dream of it. In the days when both clans were still strong, they were equal. The Sharingan would copy their movements and Jutsu, and the Uzumaki seals were so powerful that it's rumored that some even managed to seal the Uchiha Doujutsu." Kakashi's words pleased the man greatly.

"One other question," he said, "It is a legend that the Uzumaki clan possessed a Doujutsu of their own?"

Kakashi nodded, "You must mean the Rinnegan?" The Daimyo nodded, "Yes, there are rumors that the clan once possessed the Doujutsu, but as far as we've seen, none of the clansmen have the technique in any of the families."

"Ah, such a shame," sighed the Daimyo, "It would have been wonderful for all three Doujutsu to be present again."

_Else where in the stadium... _

Ushio was visibly stress as she watched her cousin's match with Saiga. He was doing well, which is what was worrying her. Shizuku, who was sitting beside her, saw this and couldn't help grinning at the girl. "Torn between duty to your clan and your heart?"

"P-pardon, Auntie?" The girl said.

Shizuku chuckled, "Oh, don't give me that, child, you've been moon-eyed over Saiga since you were children." She smiled at the girl's rising blush, which brought out the violet color of her eyes. The older woman encircled the girl's shoulder with her arm, "There's no shame in pulling for the one you hold dear, Ushio-chan."

"B-but the clan - "

"Has no objections," she finished for the flustered girl, "And you should know that there are plenty of males to carry on the line. Young Takuzou is proof of that."

Ushio was quiet for a moment, then perked up, "Come on, Saiga-kun, don't you dare lose!" Shizuku burst out laughing as the girl's shout drew the eyes of most of their clan, many smiling at her, while poor Ushio tried to hide her face behind her long bangs.

_Back with Saiga..._

Saiga was trying to focus on the fight, but Ushio's shout had thrown him off for a moment. Takuzou, however, was laughing.

"It's about time!" He laughed, pointing his tanto at the Uchiha, "But sorry to say that you're done here." The blade start moving back and forth, Saiga's eyes tried to focus on it, but then it split. Takuzou grinned, "This is my _Genjutsu_, _Konoha-Ryū_ _Yanagi_."

Saiga growled as he staggered around the illusionary blades dancing around him, only to walk right into the real blade as Takuzou slashed him. Saiga cursed, feeling a familiar burning in his eyes. His rage at being caught in a _Genjutsu_, something the Uchiha were known for, made him feel like a fool. Suddenly he felt his Chakra spike, and the pain in his eyes worsened to a point comparable to having a kunai shoved though his stomach.

"_Argh_!" All eyes fell on the young Uchiha as he slapped his hands over his eyes. Takuzou stopped his assault in wonder, having not gone for his eyes at all, but saw that there was blood leaking between his fingers.

_Kage booth..._

"Is that what I think it is?!" Ay growled, seeing the condition of the Uchiha. Beside him, Tsunade smiled, "I do believe it is, Raikage-dono, I had hoped it would activate in the second part of the exam, but this works out just as well."

"Hmm," the large Kumo shinobi rumbled, "Being such late activation, how strong do you think it would be?"

Gaara sighed, murmuring, "I have faced a Sharingan wielder once before, and they, no matter what stage the Doujutsu is, are always a handful."

Onoki nodded, "That's true, having faced Madara himself while he had his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, I can agree with this gaki. They're nothing but trouble when that eye is activated."

"Speaking of Madara," Ay said, "That boy seems to resemble him somewhat. Do you know if they're related along the line?"

Tsunade shook her head, "We we're able to find anything relating them, but we all hope the look is heredity, and not a prelude to his future."

Onoki smirked, "Madara, besides his ambitions, was a fine shinobi, and to hope that this boy turns away from that man's path is a hope shared by all."

_With Saiga..._

"My eyes!" Saiga growled, "What's happening to me?!"

Shikamaru flashed into the arena, "Are you able to continue?"

"I don't know!" Saiga snapped, "My eyes are burning!"

Shikamaru frowned and turned to Takuzou, "Did you hit his eyes?"

"No, sir," the boy said, "I only went for the limbs."

Shikamaru growled, "Saiga, move your hands and let me see. I need to know if I need to call the match"

"Y-yes, s-sir." He moved his hands out of the way and cracked his eyes open. Shikamaru peered at them, then smiled.

"The fight goes on!" Shikamaru announced. "Congratulations, Saiga-kun, you're now a _true_ Uchiha."

"I'm what?" Saiga asked, his vision clearing. What he saw startled him. He could see Chakra swirling around both the proctor, and his opponent, and everything seemed slow to him.

"Your Sharingan has activated." Shikamaru smiled, then _Shunshined_ out of the arena.

"M-my Sharingan?" He untied his hitai-ate and looked down at his reflection. And there they were, two blood-red eyes with a single tomoe in each one. "My _Sharingan_!"

"So what?" Takuzou growled, "It's not gonna change anything!" He unsheathed his second sword. "It just means I'll have to step up my game." He raised both blades above his head. The air seemed to crackle with electricity as storm clouds gathered, setting the spectators on edge. Suddenly a bolt of lightning flashed down and struck the tantos. "Now begins," Takuzou smiled, starting to spin, "_Rairyū no Tatsumaki!_" He spun faster and faster, the electrical current spiraling around him in a feircesome tornado that grew in height, towering above him. Finally, two glowing red eyes formed the top of the head as the Lighting Dragon roared out, the eyes locking on the young Uchiha.

"Pulling out all the stops, eh?" Saiga asked, glaring and base of the vortex where Takuzou was still spinning, "Then I guess I'll have to pull out all the stops, too." He looked up in the stands, directly at Ushio, catching her eyes with his. _This is for you. _He brought his hands up, forming the horse and tiger seals while gathering up his last remaining bits of Chakra.

A certain one-eyed Jonin felt a spike of fear when he recognized the coming Jutsu. "ANBU! Barrier formation!" Almost immediately, four ANBU shinobi flashed to the arena walls, calling up a barrier Jutsu in preparation for the attack.

"_Katon: Gōenkyū!_" Saiga yelled, and shot out a gigantic fire ball just as the dragon struck at him. The two met in the middle, resulting in a shattering explosion that knocked many off of their feet.

Up in their booth, the four Kage watching in sheer astonishment as the Jutsu were cast.

"That was one of my village's Lighting Jutsus!" Ay yelled.

"What incredible power!" Onoki yelled, shielding his eyes.

"Impressive," Gaara smiled.

"Shizune, get the medical corps down there! No way in _hell_ did either of them come out of that without some sort of injury! Sakura, you go, too!" Tsunade roared.

"Right away!" Both kunoichi yelped.

Back in the arena the ground had been virtually destroyed around the two Genin while everyone watched and the smoke and fire died down around them. Ushio watched with her hands clasped against her mouth in horror and fear for both of them, but her heart lurched at the thought of Saiga not coming out of the battle.

Naruto and Tayuya were worried, too, both leaning over the railing to get a better view. Naruto finally grew frustrated with the wait and thrust out his hand summoning as much Wind Chakra as he could to force a breeze down into the smoke. A small whirlwind whipped into the ring, not strong enough to damage anything or anyone, but pushing the smoke away from the epicenter of the explosion.

To everyone's surpise, two bodies were standing straight and tall in the center of all the destruction caused by the Fire and Lightning Jutsus. Shikamaru jumped back down and ran to check the young Uzumaki first. Takuzou was slumping over slightly, the tips of his sword touching the ground. His skin and body were scorched all over from the fire, but he was still breathing, however...

"Takuzou Uzumaki has been knocked unconscious," he pronounced, drawing a murmur from the crowd, all them wondering the result of the match as Shikamaru rushed over to the still standing Uchiha. Saiga was still conscious, but he was severely injured, his eyes already bleeding because his body was unused to the strain of the Sharingan, and his body was also covered in scorch marks from the combined attacks. Shikamaru smiled none the less, "Saiga Uchiha is the victor, but due to his injuries, he is bared from continuing the exams!"

"N-no," Saiga gasped, lurching forward, "I-I can still f-fight!"

"Saiga, look at yourself," Shikamaru said, gesturing to his injuries, "You're severely burned, and you're suffering from Chakra exhaustion. There's no way you can continue like this unless you wanted to die." Shikamaru placed his hand on his shoulder as the medical nins barged into the arena, "It'll be troublesome to that little Uzumaki girl if you keep hurting yourself like this."

"S-shio-c-chan," he whispered, which took the last ounce of his strength, and he promptly slumped over into the waiting arms of Shikamaru.

xXx

"Damn." Naruto muttered, watching his teammate get carried away. "That was incredible!"

"Fuck yeah," Tayuya breathed, "Who knew Saiga had that in him?

"_**Not** **me**/_Not me," Naruto and Kurama said, though one couldn't be heard. "Too bad he can't continue, I was looking forward to fighting him."

"Me too if I got the chance," Tayuya said, placing her hands in her hips, "But damn, that Takuzou gaki really put up a fight! I thought he'd win for while there."

"Yup," the blonde said as the board started flashing for the next match.

"Hmm, Ishin versus Tatsu?" Tayuya said.

"That's me," rumbled one of the Kumo Genin, "I'm Ishin."

"And I'm Tatsu," said the other Konoha Genin. Both started down for the arena.

xXx

"That was an excellent match, Tsunade-dono," Ay smiled, "Your Genin this year are quite powerful."

"Thank you," Tsunade bowed in her seat, "But I cannot take the credit, much as I'd like to. That goes to their senseis, and I must admit, those two showed a great deal of promise. I already have my thoughts about making the Uchiha a Chunin, if only to keep the council out of my hair, but the Uzumaki showed great skill as well, even great than Saiga if one were to be technical since Saiga only managed to land a single blow."

"Dat little gaki done gone wacky," Bee spoke up, "He's fine fo' a show, but how far can he go?"

Ay groaned, "Bee-nii, how many times do I have to ask you _not_ to rap?"

"Now that stings!" Bee said, grabbing at his heart, "I just wanna sing!"

Tsunade chuckled, "He does have a point, Saiga does have much further to go, but he did pull of a monstrously powerful attack there at the end that won him the match. With a little more experience as a Chunin, I think he'll turn out fine."

"I agree," Gaara said, "He has the talent of the Uchiha, and now has his Sharingan to assist him. I suggest the promotion."

"As do I," Onoki said, then looked down into the ring, "Ack, there goes the Konoha boy."

Tsundae looked down, seeing the Genin being carted off, "So it would seem. I wonder who's next?" She turned to the board, then smiled, "Oh, yes, this will be - "

xXx

"_Excellent_!" Naruto crowed, "It's my turn!"

"Momiji Hyuga, huh?" Tayuya said, looking at the only Hyuga in the arena. Naruto looked too, smiling at her. Like all Hyuga she was pale, and she looked to be around twelve or thirteen, though she was slightly shorter than most.

"Let's get going!" Naruto yelled happily and jumped over the railing and into the ruined battlefield. Momiji was less flamboyant, merely hopping over the rail to join him.

Shikamaru smiled at the blonde Genin, "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto grinned.

"I am ready, Proctor." Momiji said softly, her features hardening, dropping into the Juken stance.

Kurama raised his head in interest of the girl, sensing something off about her, _**Kit, I think she's part of the branch family. I can sense a seal on her, and from the feel of it, it's been used quite frequently.**_Naruto growl, "Do you have the _Hyūga Sōke no Juinjutsu_ placed on you?"

Momiji flinched, but nodded, "Yes, and I must win this fight. I was told by the elders that my little brother would be spared the curse mark if I defeated you, Namikaze-sama."

**_They lie, they would never spare a branch child, _**Kurama sneered through Naruto's eyes, he could see the fear in the young Hyuga's eyes, even though she was facing a Jinchuriki, and a powerful shinobi in a futile battle. _**Remove her mark, Kit. She's can't take much more of it being used on her. She'll die.**_Kurama sat on his back legs as he watched, thinking back to the many things that he truly hated about humans. Slavery was one of them.

Naruto smiled, "You know who I am, so I assume you know what I am?" Momiji nodded. "You're brave, and you're doing this for your little brother, right?" Again she nodded, while Naruto looked up into the stands, searching for Hiashi Hyuga, the one man among the Hyuga that he could respect. "The main branch truly is cruel."

Neji, who was close to the front row with Tenten beside him, heard him, flinching because of his own mark. He also wondered what Naruto intended to do as the blonde started blurring through multiple unfamiliar hands signs.

Momiji tensed, activating her Byakugan, expecting an attack, but the blonde simply smiled again, disarming her, "Don't worry, you won't have that thing on you much longer." His hands stopped with the bird sign, "This is something I developed with a friend of mine in mind._ Fuin no Jutsu: Hakai Fuin_." His right hand glowed with a blue aura around it with the kanji for destruction in his palm. "Now Gravity Seal release: Five!"

Momiji and all others present watched as five different gravity seals on Naruto's legs arms and chest glowed and dispelled themselves. This release a tremendous amount of Chakra that had held them in place which now flooded out and into his system. Momiji trembled as a wave of power washed over her, and suddenly Naruto was gone. Not a sound, or movement, he simply faded.

Already on edge the Hyuga girl spun around searching for him. Small puffs of dust could be seen all around her, but not a sign of the blonde shinobi. Then she felt a small tug on the back of her hitai-ate and whirled around as the metal plate slipped off her forehead.

"Sorry, but this will hurt for a minute or two," she heard him say just before his glowing palm was thrust against her Caged Bird Seal, and her world shattered in a blinding pain and a scream ripping from her throat.

Neji sat up in his seat, "What the hell is he _doing_ to her?!"

Tenten shook her head as the girl continued to scream, "Kami, I don't know, but it's terrible! How could he be so cruel to that girl?"

Up in the Kage booth, Tsunade was thinking a similar thing, _What the hell? Naruto's never been this violent before! And what the hell is that technique?! _She turned around to the silent Toad sennin. "Jiraiya, explain this! What's he doing to her?"

Jiraiya sighed, "It a sealing technique he invented that destroys curse marks and other seals in place. From what I've seen, it works extremely well, but the Jutsu causes the subject a lot of pain for a breif moment as the seal is destroyed."

"That _is_ something," Onoki said, smiling crookedly, "So he's just like his father, eh? Hehe, I shouldn't be surprised, the gaki looks just like him!"

Jiraiya smiled, "He's more like his mother mostly, but he's a true genius with seals."

xXx

Naruto kept his hand firmly in place as his Jutsu did it's work on the squirming girl, who wasn't making it any easier on him. Shikamaru was torn between intervening and stopping the match, but he also wanted to see what Naruto was up to.

Momiji shrieked and kicked for all she was worth trying to get away from the pain that was worse than all the times she had been punished by the elders. But there was a strange feeling inside her head, like something being pulled away, almost like removing a thorn or some other foreign object. And just as suddenly as the feeling started, it left her, and so did the pain.

Naruto released her, letting the girl slump to the ground on her backside. Shikamaru stepped forward, catching a glimpse of green ink on his friend's hand.

"Naruto, what the hell did you do?!" He yelled.

"I removed her curse mark," he said simply, making the girl gasp and reach for her head. He held his hand out to her, showing her the ink from the mark, "Now you're free. And the mark can never be cast on you again. If they seal your brother, come to me, and I'll break it."

Momiji looked poleaxed, "W-why?"

Naruto gave his trade mark foxy grin. "Because I made a promise to a friend that I'd change the Hyuga clan."

Tenten heard this and felt tears stinging her eyes as she reached over for Neji's hand and grasped it in her's. Neji gripped it tightly, feeling a sense of hope. _Naruto, you really kept your promise. _

Further up, a stunned Hiashi Hyuga felt a smile tugging at his lips as his hopes of releasing the branch members from his family's curse seemed to be a little closer.

* * *

_**And cut! That's a wrap for this chapter! MY INSANITY HAS PREVAILED! The next chapter will be crazier than this one, so brace yourselves, because the fight with the little Hyuga isn't over just yet! Also, I apologize again for the previous chapter, even I admit that it could have been way better.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Sorry, but I love cliffhangers! But like I said, the fight isn't over yet! **_

_**16: Growth Part 2: The Two Rasengans**_

* * *

Naruto watched as the young Hyuga stared at his hand, then looked around for her hitai-ate and looked at her reflection. "It's gone...it's really gone!" Naruto couldn't help grinning at her.

"Yup, and like I said, it can never be placed on you again." He said, looking back up in the stands, where his eyes locked with a strangely calm Hiashi while one of the elders seemed to be arguing with him and pointing down into the ring at him. He noticed Hinata and Hanabi there, too. Both of them looked a little stunned, but Hinata looked...happy.

_Sure, she'd be happy. _Naruto thought, _Her sister may have the mark placed on her someday. _

**_You are an idiot as usual,_**Kurama sighed, **_She's happy because you're here, you flea brain! _**

_Why would that matter?_

**_As I said, you are an idiot!_ **

Before Naruto could reply, Momiji struggled to her feet, "I wish to continue our match."

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome woman," not noticing the glare Temari was shooting down at him, "you know he's too strong for you?"

"Yes," the girl said, "But I want to give him a good fight, if only to say thank you for what he's done for me, and possibly my clan." She dropped into her stance, becoming steady on her feet again.

Naruto grinned, "Better back off, Shika-kun, I think she means business."

"Alright, alright," the lazy Chunin said, and lept away.

Naruto cracked his knuckles, "Ready for round two, Momiji-chan?"

The girl blushed and activated her Byakugan again. "You will not win so easily!" In a surprising burst of speed she charged at him. Not expecting it, Naruto jumped back clumsily, slipping on the uneven ground. Momiji grinned, "I have you! _Hakke Sanjūni Shō!_"

"Dammit!"

"Two palms!" She struck the tenketsu in both his shoulders. "Four palms!" His chest, "Eight palms!" Stomach. "Sixteen Palms!" The strikes pushed their way through his back. "Thirty-two palm!" His entire body was bombarded with the attacks, sending him sprawling.

_**Idiot,**_Kurama sighed.

_Yeah, yeah, I'm a big idiot!_ Naruto snapped, _Would you please help me out here? _

The fox chuckled but started sending his Chakra through the boy,**_ This seems oddly familiar. Oh yes! This is exactly how Neji kicked your ass last time! But now it's a younger vixen that has you on your back! _**

_She caught me by surprise is all! _

_**Sure she did, and I'm a fluffy white pussy cat!**_He could feel the sarcasm rolling off of his tenant as Naruto got to his feet. Momiji looked a little shocked to see him getting up so quickly, but then she remembered that this shinobi in front of her was a jinchuriki, and so had untold amounts of Chakra.

As if on cue, a swirling mass of red Chakra erupted from his body. Naruto knew that this wasn't enough to weaken his seal, just enough to give him a boost and open his tenketsu again.

**_Perhaps you should end this?_**Kurama suggested, _**Don't want her making this more difficult. Don't use that Jutsu, just knock her out.**_

_I know just what Jutsu to use,_ Naruto grinned, bring his hands up in the ram seal. _Just help me hold back a little, I don't want to kill her. _

**_Right._ **

"No hard feelings, Momiji-chan, but I seriously hope you survive this," Naruto said, setting both Momiji and Shikamaru on edge. "_Fūton: Atsugai!_"

xXx

Tayuya, wondering what the blonde was going to do. She thought she knew all of his Jutsu, but seeing as they'd spent their training time separately, it only made sense that he'd learned something new.

Then she saw his hands separate as a small mass of wind swirled between them. Almost like a Rasengan, but this seemed more violent, wild. "Uh-oh." She chose to duck down just as the ball of wind exploded out.

Like Saiga's Fire style, this attack created a dome like sphere of wind that shredded the ground in the arena and anything it touched. Momiji barely had time to climb the wall to get to safety as the giant sphere of wind shredded and changed the landscape of the arena once again. Momiji, careful of where she stepped, lept straight over the dome, knowing full well that if she lost her footing and landed in the stands, or fell back toward said dome, it would be over for her, one way or another.

Her timing had been perfect as the Jutsu began to wear down as she started her descent. Naruto stood in epicenter of the blast, his clothes slightly torn from the force of his technique, but otherwise unharmed. Grinning at the young Hyuga he said, "Not bad."

Momiji nodded, "You are indeed strong. That Jutsu you used could have easily killed me if you hadn't been holding back."

"No, I wouldn't have killed you," Naruto said truthfully, "I never liked killing. Especially someone from my own village."

Momiji smiled sadly, "It wouldn't matter, you know." She looked up toward the stands where Hiashi was still having his ear bent by one of the elders, "The elders will be out for your head, probably have me killed as well to make an example of me."

"Let them try," Naruto said, "I'll show them what I can do. Now do you still want to fight?"

Momiji shook her head, "No, I'm no match for you after that last attack." She looked up at Shikamaru, "I forfeit the match to Namikaze Naruto!"

xXx

"Hiashi-sama, you must listen to reason!"

"Sit down," Hiashi ordered, "There is nothing to discuss!"

"But that thing just destroyed our family's seal! We - "

"Good!" Hiashi snapped, making his daughters jump, "You know that I've always hated the use of that curse mark!"

"The branch family could revolt!" The Hyuga elder growled.

"Then they would have good reason!" Hiashi snapped, "Don't think I've forgotten what you talked my brother into, Father!"

The man froze, "I-it was necessary for the good of the clan."

"Yet, my brother was stronger than me," Hiashi said, looking down toward his nephew, who was sitting with Tenten. Hiashi smiled at the pair, "And that strength has passed to his son. No, the time of slavery in the clan has long been coming to an end, I only needed to find a way to end it. Naruto has brought that to me like a light at the end of a tunnel."

"I won't allow this!" His father growled.

"You're more than welcome to try and kill the boy," Hiashi grinned, and Hinata squeaked in alarm, "But, as you've seen, he is quite strong. That last Jutsu could have easily taken me down."

xx-Outside Konoha-xx

"So, this is it?" Sasori said in a bored tone, and looking down into the valley where the village rested.

"Yeah, looks like it," Deidara smirked, "Not a very artistic village if you ask me. But it make it all the more fun to destroy, don't you think?"

"Are you really going to ask me that again, Deidara?" Sasori grumbled, "Your idea of fleeting art is ridiculous. True art is meant to endure time and last forever, such as my puppets. Your pyro technics are hardly worth my time."

Deidara looked a little hurt at this, "Sasori, my man, you have no appreciation for real art."

"Are you joking?" Sasori growled, sending his tail flying toward the blonde's head, "You wouldn't know true art if it happened to stare you in the face, you blonde buffoon!"

"Whoa, whoa there, Sasori," Deidara said, "No need to get angry!"

"You haven't seen me angry yet." Sasori grumbled, "Now let's go, it'll be day another day at least to get to the village, and I don't like keeping our leader waiting."

xx-Konoha-Kage booth-xx

"This has been an impressive tournament, Hokage-dono," Ay said, marveling at the strength of the lastest victor, "This little red-head is quite the proverbial fire cracker."

Tsunade smirked, "That she is, and she's also Naruto's girlfriends and long time training partner. But I never expected her to beat one of your Genin purely with Taijutsu. That's something I'd expect from one of Gai's pupils."

Gaara nodded, "She is indeed full of surprises. When she and Naruto visited Sunagakure no Sato she knew nothing but her Genjutsu. Now I can see how far she's come."

"Yes," Onoki said, "With the Namikaze brat's defeat of the last Kumo Genin, it's only those two left. I have to say that I think we're in for a show."

"I agree with you there," Ay said, smiling, "From what I've seen, I'm looking forward to this battle."

xXx

Naruto smirked across at the red-haired kunoichi, "Well, this is it." Tayuya smirked right back at him. "You bet it is, Shithead-kun, and don't you dare hold back on me, or I'll make you life a living hell!" Naruto nodded, his face pulling into a full smile.

Shikamaru, who was standing off to the side, eyed the pair nervously, "Alright you two, let's keep this fun, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Shikamaru." Naruto grinned.

"What he said," Tayuya grinned back.

The young Nara gulped, "Alright, begin!"

Almost immediately Naruto and Tayuya hurled themselves at each other. Tayuya was faster and lighter on her feet which allowed her to use her limbs almost like whips as she threw punches and kicks at the blonde. Naruto was no slouch when it came to close combat. He used his forearms to block everyone of her blows, retaliating with his own when he found an opening, only to have her dodge them. Being shorter than he was, she had every advantage. But Naruto was used to sparing with her.

Normally he could, and would, land more than a few blows on her, but she was doing everything possible to stay out of his reach while she tried in vain to get a hit in.

"You've gotten better at Taijutsu," Naruto smirked, "I may have to release my gravity seals if this keeps up!"

"Heh," snorted Tayuya, "And here I thought you'd already removed them!" She spun around aiming a roundhouse kick at his head, but he caught her ankle and gave her a fling over his shoulder. She rolled through the air, tucking her legs in and landing on her feet, only to find him right above her and ready to smash his fist down on her.

She inhaled a deep breath, casting the monkey, rat, tiger, dragon, horse and dragon seals rapidly, "_Suiton: Ja no Kuchi_!" Being so close, and weighed down by his seals, Naruto had no chance to get away as he was blasted by the massive stream of water that erupted from the girl's mouth. "Not done, yet!" Tayuya growled, flashing through another set of hands seals, "_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!_"

"Fire style?!" Naruto yelped as Tayuya sent a massive ball of flames at him. He rolled out of the way, glaring up at her, then smiled, "So that's what you were working on with Kakashi? Nice!"

Tayuya smirked, "Thanks, Koibito, but you know that flattering me won't do any good right now. So I'd hurry up and release those seals of yours. I'll give you a chance."

He grinned, "Much obliged, but you're going to regret this." He clapped his hands together, calling out kai as he did, releasing the five seals on his body. "Ready or not, Tayu-chan, here I come!"

Tayuya braced herself as he shot toward her like an arrow from a bow, her eyes able to follow his movements. "Not today," her hands flashed through the ram, horse and bird, "_Mizu Tatsumaki_!" The water she'd spewed out from her first attack spiraled around her in a violent cyclone, creating a barrier around her. Naruto responded by reaching into his pouch and hurling kunai at the vortex. The malestrom sent the kunai in different directions, burying them in the walls of the arena and ground all around them. Naruto smiled, _Perfect! _

"Alright, let's see how that holds up against a tornado!" Naruto grinned, forming the ram seal, "_Fūton: Kamikaze!_" Using his arms, Naruto kicked a massive whirlwind that crashed into water cyclone of Tayuya's, pushing it back. "And now," he growled as a blue ball formed in his hand, "_Rasengan_!"

"_Rasengan_!" Tayuya roared, leaping out of the two twisters to meet him with her own spiraling Chakra ball. Naruto, too far gone in his attack to stop, moved his Rasengan to intercept hers, smashing the two into each other. The result was both of them being thrown back by the force of the two spirals clashing. Naruto hit the wall opposite of Tayuya, who skidded against the ground trying to regain her footing.

"Damn, they cancelled each other out!" She spat in frustration, "Here I was hoping that I'd gotten stronger than you!"

Naruto smiled gleefully at her, "Not yet, Tayu-chan, but you're getting there." He peeled himself off the wall, "But you aren't the only one that's been practicing."

xXx

"You taught her the _Rasengan_?!" Tsunade snapped, rounding on the Toad Sennin, who smiled nervously, "I can't believe you!"

"Hey, she's my apprentice, too, you know, what was I supposed to do? Tell her to take up knitting?" He asked, earning a few giggles from Shizune and Matsuri, and one deadly glare from the Godaime.

"You know that's a dangerous technique, even for Naruto!" Tsunade growled, "If it wasn't for the fox, or his Uzumaki blood, there's no way he could handle that! What makes Tayuya different?"

Jiraiya smiled, "The fact that she was so hell bent on learning it after I demonstrated one of my variations of the technique, she's been working herself into the ground, just so she had the Chakra reserves to perform it." He grinned at the memory of the girl training day in and out just so she could increase her Chakra flow, "She's a strong one, Tsunade, and she'll probably get stronger after this."

"She is an impressive young woman," Onoki chuckled, "From what I've heard, her language alone is quite colorful."

"Wait a minute," Gaara said, looking down into the ring, "What's Naruto up to?"

xXx

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tayuya asked the blonde, "You've run out of steam already."

Naruto grinned at her, "Not yet." Suddenly his body glowed, engulfing him in a yellow light, and disappeared.

"What the - ?!" Tayuya yelled, only to be tackled from behind.

"Got'cha!" Naruto crowed, smiled at her. "Like my new Jutsu?"

Realization dawned on her, "That was the _Hiraishin no Jutsu!_"

"Yeah," he said, "Took a while, but I finally got it down!"

"Not gonna help ya, though." Tayuya grinned, forming another Rasengan. Naruto saw it coming, and flashed away again, this time across the field. "What the fuck! How did you even set this up!"

Naruto laughed, "Rememer when I threw those kunai at you? Your water vortex scattered them all over, and they all had the _Hiraishin_ seal on them." He grinned when Tayuya growled at her mistake, "The Yellow Flash may be gone, but there's still an Orange Spark!"

"You're still not winning!" Tayuya yelled, and bit down on her thumb, and flashed through her hand signs before slamming her hand to the ground, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

Naruto grinned, "Two can play at that game!" He bit his own thumb, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

Up in the stands, many of the shinobi were wondering what would be coming out of Tayuya's puff of smoke as Naruto's summon stepped out of the smoke. A large orange and blue toad with two tantos strapped to his side. "**Yo, Boss, long time no see!"**

"Great to see you too, Gamakichi," Naruto said, patting him on the head, "We'll catch up over a few bowls of ramen later, but right now we've got a few things to take care of."

Gamakichi looked over at Tayuya, who stood atop her summon, still obscured by the smoke. "**Who'd she summon?**" The toad asked as the smoke began to clear.

A massive body the size of Gamakichi arose from the smoke covered by red-gold fur, with five billowing tails behind it. A feral snarl on the summon's face, revealing deadly sharp fangs.

A gasp rose from the crowd as the creature was recognized; a giant five-tailed fox.

"**Tayuya-chan, what have you summoned me for?**" The fox asked, looking across the field at the toad and his master, "**Ah, the son of Gamabunta, a fine young toad, ready for a true battle!**"

Tayuya grinned from her perch on the fox's back, "Thanks for coming, Kagura, I could use your help big time. He's been summoned by Jiraiya's apprentice, not an easy person to take down."

"**As you say,**" Kagura said, "**But we shall have a grand battle before the day is done!**" Kagura roared and lunged at the blonde and his summon. Gamakichi leapt at them while Naruto flashed away to the other side of the ring behind Tayuya and her mount.

"Not so fast, Tayuya!" Naruto yelled, causing the girl to whip around, find him already casting a Jutsu. "_Ranjishigami no Jutsu_!" His golden hair bushed out, growing longer and forming into a mouth like appendage, teeth and all.

"That's Jiji's technique!" Tayuya yelped as she leapt off Kagura's back and away from the Jutsus snapping teeth. Naruto just grinned and kept his hand sign in the snake seal.

_"Hari Jigoku_!" This time his hair shortened slightly, and then shot out needle like threads at the fleeing kunoichi. The needles, however, never made it to there target, as a streak of blue flames broiled up, incinerating them.

Naruto looked over his shoulder at a smirking Kagura before she bowled right into Gamakichi, rolling the toad over on his back before he slashed at her with his short swords. The toad growled and made a few hands signs, "_**Katon: Endan**!_" Kagura was launched off of him as he spewed out a massive ball of flames. "**You ain't gettin' the best of me, ya flea bag!"**

Naruto smirked, his worry over his friend vanishing as the two summons began to to fight claw and fang to sword. His focus returned to Tayuya as she came at him again with her kunai.

xXx

Up in the stands, almost every mouth was left hanging open as the battle progressed. Not even the Hyuga clan could fathom this battle seeing as one of the combattants had once been the biggest goof in the village, and the other had once been the servant of Orochimaru. But no one was more surprised by the battle than one Sakura Haruno. She knew about Naruto's summoning abilities, but to see him use it against another shinobi, let alone his girlfriend and a fellow summoner, was a shock.

It also showed how much both of them wanted to win.

She looked over at her stunned sensei, who was wide-eyed at the giant fox that Tayuya had summoned, a small smile spreading across her face, "So this is what you meant, you old perv!"

Jiraiya chuckled, "It is, I was just as shocked as you all are when the foxes came to here with the contract. We'd stopped by a stream for lunch when Tayuya spotted a young kit drifting in the water. She went in after it and nursed the little thing back to health."

Ay turned to the Sannin, "And the kit was a summon?"

"A young one, yes," Jiraiya said, "Only one tail at the time. When she turned the little one loose, it came back only minutes later with a much, much larger fox in tow. The same fox you see down there right now. Kagura was the kit's mother, and offered Tayuya the contract out of gratitude for saving her child."

"How wonderful," Shizune chirped, "I never knew that foxes could be summoned. I mean I knew about fox spirits, but I didn't think they could be summoned!"

Onoki nodded, "It's a rare thing for the fox spirits to give their contract out to anyone. They're even pickier than the toads from what I've heard of them."

"That they are," Jiraiya nodded, "But once they accepted Tayuya and let her sign the contract, they've been fiercely loyal, and a great help to her in battle."

"She's just as remarkable as our little knucklehead," Tsunade said, smiling fondly at the pair, "But who's going to come out on top? I must admit that seeing Naruto use his father's Hiraishin was incredible, and Tayuya's mastery of the Rasengan is even more so, it's hard to tell which one will win. And I'm hoping that neither one of them are seriously injured."

All present to her words nodded, including Onoki, for he, too, wanted to see both shinobi become stronger.

xXx

_Ugh, this is getting crazy_, Naruto thought, _I feel like I just got super charged on Chakra_!

_**Did you say super charged?**_Kurama asked worriedly, when Naruto gave his mental confirmation, the fox growled, _**Great, this is happening sooner than I expected! Naruto, you need to end this fight, and I mean now! **_

_What the hell, Kurama, it's just getting good! _Naruto complained, ducking under a water dragon Tayuya launched at him, and dodging a stream of multi-colored flames from both Gamakichi and Kagura.

_**I know you want to keep fighting, but this isn't the time anymore, Kit!**_Kurama yelled, **_You're feeling my Chakra spiking! It's time, Kit! _**

_What?! You gotta be kidding_ _me_! Naruto roared, making the Biju cover his ears.

_**I kid you not! Now move it along before it gets out of my control! **_

_Alright! Alright! _Naruto sighed, then smiled at Tayuya, "Looks like it's just about time to end this, ne?"

Tayuya, who was looking a little winded, nodded, "Fuck yeah, and I've got just the Jutsu I've been dying to use!"

"Same here," Naruto grinned, and held out his right arm, gripping the wrist with his left. All eyes were on them as Tayuya did the same thing. For both, this was something new, and something dangerous, neither of them knowing just how it would end for them. Naruto had seen the Jutsu Tayuya was going to use before, but not as she'd used it before.

"Kagura! Now!" Tayuya yelled.

"**Coming!**" The fox summon roared, and breathed a blast of flames at the girl's out stretched hand. Tayuya formed the ball of Chakra just as the flames engulfed her hand.

While this was happening, Naruto was forcing as much wind Chakra into his Rasengan as he could muster, but it was difficult, not like his normal Wind style Jutsu, it was like trying to force the wind into a jar. But the ball compressed, and four small blade-like spikes jutted out from it.

Tayuya's Rasengan turned a fiery red as the flames licked around it, ignoring the pain from the burns, and grew slightly large as a result. Both looked up as their Jutsu reached their peaks. "Now!" The boy and girl lunged at each other.

The two spheres met, slamming into each other, wind and fire.

"_Katon: Gōen Rasengan_!"

"_Fūton: Rasengan!"_The result, a massive fire storm that swept around both shinobi in a deadly maelstrom of flames.

* * *

_**Don't ya just hate me? Well, here's something to look forward to, Next chapter gets a roaring start and a roaring finish with the arrival of the Akatsuki! Plus, now that Kurama's Chakra is on the rise, y'all know what that means! **_

_**Don't forget to review, until next time, Sayounara!**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Sorry for the wait, ladies and gentlemen, here's the chapter you've been waiting for! The conclusion of the Chunin Exams, and the long awaited, Kurama-you-baka-fox-lemon! How could I resist a cliffie like that anyway?**_

_**Staff member: Personally, sir, I blame all the cliffhanging stories you read.**_

_**Hmm, could be.**_

_**Staff member: On with the chapter then, you've annoyed the readers enough.**_

_**17: Two Chunin, One Moment**_

* * *

"What the hell is that!" Tsunade roared over the explosion as Jiraiya swore profusely. She rounded on him, but the Toad Sennin was already leaping down toward the arena.

"Get the medical corp down here!" He roared over his shoulder. "That was a wind and fire blast! No way they won't both be hurt!"

"Shit!" Tsundae growled, "Shizune!"

"Naruto! Tayuya!" Shikamaru yelled. The blast from the two Jutsu had nearly sent him flying off his perch on the wall, now that the fire was dying down, he couldn't see the two shinobi at all.

Jiraiya landed heavily beside him, "Do you see them?!"

"No!" Shikamaru cried, "The flames are still too hot to see through!"

"Dammit!" Jiraiya yelled, "Naruto, Tayuya, get out of there!"

"_Suiton: Ja no Kuchi!"_ A burst of water rushed into the flames, quelling them, and there stood Tayuya keeping the stream going. On the other side of the flames against the wall was Naruto, keeping out of their reach.

"That was a nice boom!" The blonde grinned crazily, "I think I burned my arm a little!"

Jiraiya, seeing that his students were alright, suddenly grew angry, "You morons! Matching up a Wind style against a Fire style?! This I would expect from you, ya blonde lunatic, but I thought I taught you better, Tayuya!"

The flames finally dying down, Tayuya stopped her Jutsu, and looked a little sheepish, "Sorry, Jiji, but it was kinda Shithead's idea for a flashy ending."

"What?!"

"Oi, no fair, Tayu-chan!" Naruto yelped.

"This match is over," Shikamaru sighed, stepping in, "Both of you have proven how good you are as shinobi, and just how...absolutely insane you both are!" The young Nara rarely got excited about anything, but seeing his friend do something so reckless...

"Oh, come on!" Naruto whined, "It's not like we were trying to kill each other! And I didn't know she could use that Fire style _Rasengan_!"

"If we were, I'd have summoned Kagura a long time ago!" Tayuya grinned as her fox summon trotted over to her.

"**I must admit that they did have this planned if they met in the ring, Jiraiya-san. They wanted to put on a show that made sure they were both promoted.**" The fox said.

Kurama sighed inside his seal, _**I told you that this was a bad idea! Now hurry this along, you're features are going to start changing soon! **_

_Why don't I like the sound of that? _Naruto asked, but Kurama just rolled his eyes and kept his mouth shut, letting the boy sweat a little.

A moment later Jiraiya landed beside him, "Let me see that right arm of your's." His voice didn't allow any arguments; Naruto did as he was told. Jiraiya examined the damage done by both Jutsu. His arm was burned badly, but it was already healing. Also he noticed gashes he surmised were caused by the wind Chakra that Naruto had unleashed with his _Rasengan_.

"This is healing fast for some reason," Jiraiya said, looking the boy in the eye, "Is Kurama helping you?"

_I wish he was, _Naruto thought, before saying, "Yeah, he's pumping my system full of Chakra right now."

"Well, that explains your eyes," Jiraiya said, startling the blonde, then went over to check Tayuya, who was looking toward Naruto curiously. Naruto quickly took of his haiti-ate to look at his reflection. And, of course, his eyes were blood-red, just like the fox.

_Kurama, what the hell - _

**_This is only the beginning, Kit, now I suggest you stop bothering me and move this whole thing along, or else you'll probably attack the first vixen that you bump into!_ **

Tayuya noticed that Naruto looked horrified. "What wrong with him?"

Jiraiya shrugged as he took a look at her left arm, "Probably a little surprised that the fox is pumping so much Chakra through him. He's never been fond of the way he looks when too much is used."

"Uh..."

Jiraiya sighed, looking over her arm, which took less damage than Naruto's had. She, of course, was burned, but that was the extent of the damage. "You were lucky, the two opposing forces pushed most of the flames up and away from you. A bit of ointment and some rest and you'll be good as new." He looked up from her arm and smiled, "You did very well today, Tayuya-chan, I'm proud of you both, but you've come along way from the little girl I found under a tree."

Tayuya smiled at her grandfather figure, "Thanks, Oji-chan."

Tsunade suddenly landed on the edge of the wall, "I have to agree with this old pervert," she smiled, "You've both done well. Now I suggest you both go home and get some rest. I'll announce the results tomorrow morning."

Naruto nodded, keeping his eyes lowered, "Okay, we'll head home then." He bowed a little, "Sorry for worrying you." Tsunade sighed and hopped down, then flicked him on the head like she'd done when he was a child.

"Just go home," she said, lowering her voice, "And try not to let anyone see those eyes of yours right now. The civilians would be out for blood if they thought you were possessed by the fox."

"I'll leave now, then," he nodded, looking over at the red-head, "Tayuya-chan, I'll meet you back home, take your time if you need to." He suddenly disappeared in a flash of orange and yellow.

"Oi! Shithead!" Tayuya roared, "You could have at least given me a ride, you jackass!"

Tsunade sighed, _These two are going to drive me to an early grave! _

xXx

Saiga groaned as the medics worked on him. He was mostly healed, but the strain on his eyes had been almost too much for his Chakra network to handle. It hadn't helped him when he'd used such a high-powered Fire Jutsu either.

The medic sighed, "This is as much as I can do for you, Saiga-san, the rest is all up to your own recovery system."

"It's fine," he said, "I'll just go home and sleep it off."

"Sleeping would help, but I'd take a soldier pill if I were you." The medic said, "It'll help replenish your Chakra and making it easier on you."

"I'll do that," he said, slowly getting to his feet.

"Do you need help getting home?"

"No I -"

"I'll take him!" Both of them turned toward the door and found Ushio standing there, flustered, and looking more than a little harassed, "I can make sure he gets home!"

Saiga blushed, "Ushio-chan, you don't really have to - "

"It's either me," she growled, "or your loyal fans I had to swim through to get in here!"

Saiga paled, "You mean they're - "

"Right outside," she sighed.

The young Uchiha suddenly started longing for his old prison cell. "On second thought, I think I'll take you up on that offer."

The medical nin smirked, "You know they'd lighten up if you actually chose at least one wife."

Ushio glared at the man, puffing out her cheeks cutely, making Saiga smirk, "That...might not be such a bad idea."

Ushio looked a little saddened at this, "Oh...you mean you'll start looking?"

Saiga kept the smirk on his face as he strolled over and slung his arm over her shoulder, "I already have someone in mind."

"W-who?" She asked, while the medic smirked at the girl's cluelessness.

"Well, she's someone I've known for a while," Saiga said, as they started out of the room, "And she's always been so kind to me that I never understood why she cared so much."

Ushio, still clueless, sighed, "She sounds nice." She opened the door and, for once, felt like throwing her crush into the gaggle of girls that was waiting for him.

Saiga cringed slightly as a chorus of _Saiga_-_sama_ went up. Then he grinned, "Did I mention she's an Uzumaki?" This startled her into looking up at the taller boy, and what happened next nearly made the group of females faint in despair. The young Uchiha heir they'd all been chasing after for the last three years leaned over and pecked Ushio lightly on the lips.

xXx

"Guh!" Naruto groaned as he landed on another rooftop, "Why didn't I set one of my kunai up at the house?!" His body had long since started burning with a high fever. "Kurama, can't you lighten this up?!"

_**I'm sorry, Kit, but this is way out of my paws right now!**_Kurama growled loudly, _**It's not just my Chakra spiking through your system, Kit, it's your hormones! Like I'd have any kind of control over those!**_

"Great," he groaned, and leapt away again before anyone caught sight of him, "Just how much am I going to change before this is over? I'm not going to grow a tail or something, am I?"

_**Don't be ridiculous,**_Kurama said, _**I'm not that cruel! You'll just look more feral than you usually do when you're in the tailless state.**_Naruto groaned again as he finally caught sight of his home, and sighed in relief, "At least I'll be safe here."

_**Until your vixen gets home,**_Kurama sighed, _**I don't understand it, Kit, she practically offered herself to you for this occasion, but you don't want to take her?**_

"Of course I do!" Naruto growled, "But I want it to be me when it happens, and me alone, not because I'm being influenced by your Chakra!"

**_That's noble, but have you thought about what she might want? She could want this._ **Naruto landed and activated his gate seal, and stepped beyond the boundaries. "I'm not sure she'd want me like this, Kurama. I already feel my teeth getting longer." He looked down at his hands, where his nails had sharpened and extended into dagger-like claws, "I may be a human, but right now, I probably look like a demon."

Kurama sighed, and remained quiet. Now he felt a little guilty for putting him through this. **_Tch, ruining my fun. Look, Kit, I don't think she cares how you look. If she did, I would have chased her away ages ago. Do you really think she's that petty?_ **

"Of course not," he growled, stumbling toward the front door, "She's everything I could have ever wanted!"

_**And that is?**_Kurama prompted.

"She looks at me as Naruto, not a Jinchuriki, or as a Namikaze." He said, and pushed through door, kicking off his sandles.

_**Good qualities for a mate,**_the fox said, then snickered as Naruto blushed. _**Well, I suppose this will be a long day. Might as well get comfortable, because this fever you've got will only get worse as the day wears on.** _

"Great," he groaned. "I just hope Tayuya takes her time getting home."

xXx

"The nerve of that shithead! Leaving me behind like that!" Tayuya growled as she stomped toward the Namikaze compound with Sakura behind her, and cradling her injured arm, "When I get my hands on that red-eyed, shit for brains fucktard, I'll shove a kunai right up his - "

"Tayuya, calm down!" Sakura giggled, tailing behind her, "I'm sure he had a good reason for bailing on you like that."

_**That idiot, Shanaroo!**_Inner Sakura growled, **_I wanna beat the tar out of him!_ **

"What fucking reason?!" She growled, "The only thing I can think would be the fo-o-oh!" She paled as realization hit her. His eyes turning red, the fox's Chakra working so fast. "Oh!"

"Tayuya?" Sakura looked at her friend in concern, "You okay?"

"OH SHIT!" Tayuya roared, and took off at a run.

"T-Tayuya! Where are you going!" Sakura yelled.

"NO TIME, PINKY!" She yelled, kicking up a dust trail, "GOTTA FIND THAT DUMB BLONDE!"

"Huh?" Sakura wondered, "What the hell's going on now?"

_Meanwhile_...

"So, what did you think of this year's first Chunin Exam?" Tsunade asked happily, "We had a fair few exceptional shinobi."

Ay nodded, "I agree, your village has some extremely talented Genin worthy of becoming Chunin, the young Uchiha, and Namikaze especially."

"Yes," Gaara said, "Naruto has always had the potential to be great, and now it seems that potential has finally come to fruition."

Onoki sighed, "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right, Kazkage-dono, the fact that he used_ Hiraishin no Jutsu_ is proof of that, and from what I heard there at the end, that was a new _Rasengan_ both of those gakis used!"

"That's right," she said, nodding happily, "I have confidence that they're all ready for the promotion. Naruto is already training a younger Genin alongside a Jonin supervisor."

"That's quite interesting to hear," Ay smiled, "My brother actually did the same thing a few times. I couldn't ask for a better team. So I assume that you're going ahead?"

"I am," Tsunade said, "But what about your teams? Surely you had some Genin that were worthy of the promotion?"

"One from my village," Ay smirked, "But he's still a little inexperienced. When he fought against that youngster Leaf Genin, I noticed he was hesitant in his movements, and we all know that hesitation could be fatal in our line of work."

"Agreed," Gaara sighed, "Hesitation will only put yourself and your team in danger if things don't go as planned."

Tsunade sighed, "That's true and it's a shame that the boy couldn't over come it. Also I would have liked to see a few more teams out there. Whatever happened to the three Iwa teams?"

Onoki chuckled sadly, "Most of them were killed in the Forest of Death, thanks to your Namikaze brat and his team. From what I understand from the one survivor, he took on three alone, while three more took on the female member of his team, while the remaining one took on the Uchiha. As I said, there was only one survivor."

"That's unusual," Tsunade said, "Unless he has not other alternative, Naruto doesn't care for killing. They must have pissed him off somehow."

"A likely outcome," Gaara nodded, "He has a temper on him, that is certain."

"So it would seem," Ay said, "And he looks to be fiercely loyal. A good quality for a shinobi."

"Speaking of loyalties," Onoki said, stroking his beard, "What's to be done about these rogues that call themselves the Akatsuki?"

"That is something that was about to bring up with the three of you," Tsunade said, rising from her seat, "These shinobi, according to Jiraiya's spy network, are about to begin actively hunting the Jinchuriki. Why? We have no idea yet. But we do know that they are on the move."

"My village has two Jinchuriki," Ay said, "One of them my own brother, and the other a very capable kunoichi. I wouldn't put it past either of them to put whoever comes after them in their place."

Onoki grumbled, "I also house two, but neither of them stay near the village because of their...treatment. They can take care of themselves."

"That is not th pressing issue," Tsunade said, "What is, is that these shinobi are from each and every shinobi village, and all ranked as SS ranked nukenin, that is what has me worried above all else. What damage could these people do to our village in their hunt? And what are they planning to do with the Jinchuriki if they capture them?"

"The Hokage raises a good point," Gaara said, "I myself, am a Jinchuriki of the Ichibi, and I know first hand of the destruction it can cause if its power is unleashed."

"Neither Bee nor Yugito need worry about that," Ay smiled, "They have reached an understanding with their Biju."

"As has Naruto, the bearer of the Kyuubi," Tsunade said proudly, "Though I'm not sure how much of the fox's power he can control."

"Whatever their plans are," Onoki sighed, "I fear that we shall find out sooner rather than later."

xXx

Naruto had shut himself up in his parents' old room and locked the door in place. Now all he had to do was wait. Which was easier said than done.

The fever that had taken him had grown worse, so much that he was sweating. His vest, shirt and chain mail shirt now lay on the floor, forgotten. _Kurama, so help me if I live through this, I'm gonna strangle you with your own tails!_

**_I'd like to see you try that, Kit, ut I think you have bigger problems to deal with right now._ **Kurama chuckled, _**Your vixen is close by.**_

_Great, _he groaned_, just great. Good thing I locked the door._

_**This is Tayuya we're talking about, Kit, you really think a simple door is gonna stop her?**__  
_

CRASH "NARUTOOOO!"

"Of course not," Naruto groaned when he heard the front door crash open. He heard the girl's thundering foot steps as she ran through the house in searc of him, and pass right by the door.

"Where the fuck are you?!" Tayuya yelled, and crashed into their room. It was empty, not even the sheets were disturbed. "Argh, Naurto, stop being a pussy and come out right now!" She turned around and ran back down the hall, checking the rooms as she went, and slamming the doors back when she found them empty. It was maddening! "Naruto!"

Hearing the rage in her voice, Naruto didn't dare say anything, knowing full well that she'd be more likely to murder him if she found him.

Tayuya looked all around the house until she came to the room she knew he didn't feel comfortable being in yet...and she felt it was the obvious choice for a hiding spot! She reached to slide the door open and found it bared. She grinned, "Found yo~u."

Naruto gulped, "Go away, Tayuya, please!"

The door rattled, "Not a chance, you dick head, now open this door, or so help me I'll put a _Rasengan_ through it." It rattled again, "What's so bad about this anyway? Am I that ugly?" She said, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Naruto growled, a true, anima-like growl that sounded exactly like Kurama's, "You're beautiful, Tayuya-chan. I just don't want you to see me like this!"

Tayuya yanked on the door again, but it held fast, "You really think I care?" She growled, _what did her do, put a broom in the door? _"You could have a tail for all I care, and I'd still like you!"

"No like this," she heard him sigh, "I really look like a monster now."

"That's it!" Tayuya roared, a familiar ball of Chakra forming, "Here I come, Foxy! _Rasengan_!"

Before Naruto could react, the door was sent spiraling against the opposite wall, and Tayuya barged in. Her eyes immediately locked on him. "N-Naruto?" The blonde cringed. Tayuya was shocked. He looked nothing like he had a few hours ago. He was sitting on the bed looking at her with those red eyes and fangs there were the obvious changes as the long canines protruded from his lips, but his hair had grown out into a shaggy mane, and she noticed that his nails had grown into claws longer than she'd ever seen on him before. "Wow. You look - "

"Ugly?" Naruto growled with obvious strain in his voice, "Told you so." He looked down, "Now would you mind giving me some space? It's kinda hard to resist these..._urges_."

The deepness in his voice made her shiver, an unfamiliar feeling starting in her stomach. "Why fight them at all?" She asked a little quieter than she'd intended, "I'm here, I'm not afraid, so why?"

Naruto looked up at her again, his red slit eyes locking with hers. "Do you really think I don't want you myself?" He growled, flashing his fangs at her, "Even when we were on our training mission together, I was drawn to you for some reason, I was just too young and stupid to know why."

Tayuya huffed, planting her hands on her hips, "Then why?! What's stopping you?"

"This!" He gestured to himself, "This isn't me right now! I don't want to force this on you!"

"As if you could!" Tayuya snapped, stepping toward him, and making him slide away from her, "I'm strong now, stronger than I've ever been! No man can touch me unless I let him!"

"Stay back!"

"No!" Tayuya crawled onto the bed, looking him straight in the eyes, "Listen to me, Naruto, I've been through a lot, and you're the first boy I've ever liked enough to even consider being my friend besides Jiji, the only one I ever wanted to kiss," she blushed a little as she went on, "And you're only one I want to give myself to. This is all still new to me, but there's no question in my mind that you're the one I choose."

The hard features on Naruto's feral face seemed to soften. "Tayuya - "

She put a finger against his lips, unwittingly sending a wave of electricity through him, "You don't have to worry about hurting me. Too bad for you I lost my virginity a long time ago."

"What?!" Naruto roared.

Tayuya grinned, a little happy that she'd managed to make him jealous. That is until he grabbed her shoulders. "Who was it?!"

Tayuya shivered, "Not anybody you need to know, Naruto." She looked away, not willing to look at him now, "Back with Orochimaru, I was one of the few female shinobi he kept. The rest were all male." Naruto loosened his hold on her, seeing that she was answering him. "I kept my distance for the most part, and I did my job, but this didn't sit well with a few of the others because I was the only kunoichi in a group of shinobi." Her shoulders began to shake, "One night, after the four of us had returned from a mission, three of them came after me."

Naruto stiffened. "Tayuya, you don't mean - "

"Shut the fuck and let me finish." She sighed, sitting up, "You guessed right, by the way. Three of the lower class shinobi decided to put me in my place." Her face turned into a scowl of pure hatred. "They took their time. Telling me that it was my purpose to give them a little pleasure now and then since I was a kunoichi." Her fists clenched as she bit down on her lip, "It was bullshit! They just couldn't accept the fact that there was a woman that was stronger than they were!" She tasted blood in her mouth. "All three of them." She looked up at the feral boy in front of her, who now looked stunned, as well as enraged by what he was hearing, "I screamed and yelled for help, but no one came. None of my team. Not Orochimaru, or Kabuto. No one."

"Tayuya." Naruto's voice was a mixture of disgust and pure wrath.

She smiled up at him, "That's the worst part. But I got back at them." Her smile turned malicious, "A few days later I showed every male in that damned hell hole how strong a kunoichi could be, especially when she's crossed. I took them all, one by one, and strung them up while I skinned them alive. Like I had, they screamed for help, but just like with me, no one came for them. I'd never felt better about killing someone."

"How could you have stayed with them after that?" Naruto growled, "What kept you?"

"Where was I supposed to go?" She asked, "That's the only place I knew as a home. The only life I knew...before I met you and Jiji." She reached out and clutched his hand. "So you think you're a monster? So what? So am I. What I did to those three could be considered a slaughter, and inhuman, but here I am."

"That's different!" Naruto yelled, taking her by the shoulders again, but gentler this time. "They deserved what they got! You didn't!"

Tayuya smiled at him, "And do you deserve to be called a monster?"

"I - " Naruto gulped, stuck.

She giggled, "See, we're the same, whether you like it or not." She reached up wrapped her arms around his neck, "So, will give some better memories? Or let me live with these old ones?"

"Dammit!" He growled, wrapping his arms around her, "You always know what to do or say to get to me, don't you?"

"Hmph, that's a good kunoichi for you," she smiled, and pecked him on the lips, "Now, let those urges of yours go, and fuck your all to willing girlfriend's brains out!"

Naruto grinned and let a feral growl rip through his throat, bringing his mouth crashing down on hers, and gripping the shoulder of her kimono in his claws. Tayuya gasped when she felt his fangs against her lips, and his hands pulling the silken top from his shoulders. Her hands went to work on his bare back, raking her her nails over his skin, bringing forth another growl from him.

The purple kimono top was soon falling from her shoulders, leaving her in nothing but her bra. Naruto's hands trailed down her back, blazing a hot trail in their wake. Then she felt his tongue prodding her for entry, making her giggle as she opened for him. He thrust his tongue in, tangling with hers, and tasting the blood from her lips, drawing little moans and sighs of pleasure from the girl. Naruto, who knew better than to try anything clever with his nails the way they were, brushed them softly down her back, making her arch into him as the points touched sensitive spots that were ticklish.

Then he slid his hands back to her bra, letting the sharp claws saw through the thin strap that kept it in place. When she felt the small scrap of lace fall from her shoulders, she released him to remove the rest of the way, giving him a small glimpse, but whined when she saw it was ruined, "Hey, I liked this one!"

Naruto smiled, nuzzling her neck, "We'll go shopping later." He grinned as she shivered, "Who knows what else I might shred with my claws." He kissed and licked at her neck, scraping his fangs against her skin. Tayuya tangled her fingers in his hair, keeping him in place as he sent little shocks through her with his touch. His lips found her throat, trailing lower until she raised herself to help him along. Naruto smiled, "You're so beautiful, Tayu-chan," he kissed a trail to the small valley between her breasts, "the most beautiful kunoichi in the village."

"Naruto," she moaned, thrusting her chest out in a silent plea. He grinned and flicked his tongue across her right nipple drawing a startled squeak from her. He rolled the small bud with his tongue before taking it into his mouth and suckling lightly. Tayuya gasped at the feeling of his hot mouth on her breast, clutching him closer. He used his right arm to wrap around her hips, drawing her against his erection, and used the left to tend to her left breast. Her whole body shivered as she bit her lip to keep back her moans.

Naruto was having none of that, and took the nipple in his mouth gently between his teeth. "_AH_!" Tayuya moaned, shivering as he rolled the hardened bud between his sharp teeth, plucking at his hair not knowing whether to stop him or let him continue. "Naruto, please!" Naruto took this as a plea from more and reached his left hand down to her shorts, sliding his fingers across her toned stomach and beneath the waist band. No longer keeping her moans in check, Tayuya raised herself further to accommodate him as his searching fingers touched her through her panties, finding them already damp.

Another squeak came from her as she thrust herself against his fingers as he started rubbing her. "Oh, Kami, Naruto, please don't stop!" She moaned.

Naruto, releasing her breast, grinned up at her, "Feels good?"

"Y-yes," she squeaked out, and gasping when he nudged her panties aside to touch her core, "h-how do know.."

"Blame Ero-sennin," Naruto laughed, "Who do you think he made read his stupid manuscripts?"

Tayuya giggled at the thought of Naruto actually reading one of Jiraiya's dirty books. "Remind me to thank him." She sighed, stroking his cheek, and leaning down to kiss him, thoroughly exploring his mouth with his tongue, and effectively plunging his fingers into her opening. Naruto was growing hotter by the minute. Kurama's Chakra was nearing the peak, but he was managing to hold off on rushing things with her, though he felt like he wouldn't last much longer as Tayuya start to thrust against his fingers, moaning softly.

Tayuya seemed more than content, but she, too, was starting to long for more than just his touch. She made this cleared by reaching down and clasping him through his pants. Naruto gasped, nearly biting down on her lips in shock when she touched him. Tayuya grinned around his lips, "Well, well, Foxy," she giggled, "is that a kunai in your pants or are you just happy to see me?"

"Worst pun ever," Naruto chuckled, and thrust his fingers up into her. Tayuya squealed in delight at the rougher treatment, grinding her hips against him while she reached for the zipper on his pants. "Better be careful with those claws, Foxy, or I might do something a little drastic." She reached inside, slipping past his boxers, and stroked him. Naruto hissed, using his thumb to rub against the hardening little bud atop her entrance. Tayuya shivered, starting to become a little competitive with her lover in wanting to make him cum first, and started stroking him faster. This drew another feral growl from him. "You little vixen!"

Tayuya giggled which ended on a moan as he attacked her neck again, nipping and suckling at her, leaving a sizable mark there. Tayuya was now fighting a losing battle with her own body, she was becoming wetter by the second with him stroking her, and he seemed to be holding out better than she was. The added effect of his mouth sucking on her neck only added to the fire beginning to burn away at her insides. Naruto had noticed this too, and doubled his efforts to please her even as she started moaning his name, leaving off her treatment of him only to hold onto him as the fire became too much for her to take.

Naruto's fingers then brushed against a spot that had the muscles in her stomach clenched as her passages clamped down on his hand, drenching him as she screamed and shuddered with release. She slumped against his shoulder breathing heavily, "Wow, not bad, Naruto," she smiled, coming down from her high, "Who knew you could learn things like that from books?"

Naruto smirked at her, "You're right about that. You okay, Tayuya-chan?"

"Never better," she sighed happily, turning her head to kiss his neck, "What about you? I'm sure you're practically hard as steel by now."

He blushed at that, "Sort of. It's getting kinda hard to control myself now."

Tayuya giggled, getting out of his lap, "Well, then," she said, and started wriggling out of her shorts, "We should probably do something about that, shouldn't we?" He gulped when she had the shorts down to her knees, seeing a flash of her panties going with them. Tayuya now lay before him completely bare. Giggling again she held her arms out to him, "Well? What are you waiting for?" She said, "Come here, Naruto-kun."

Nodding, he nervously positioned himself over her while she started fiddling with his pants, drawing them down his hips, allowing his erection to spring free of its confines. His nerves hit their boiling point then. "A-are you sure about this?" He asked, "I mean all this is a little sudden."

Tayuya smiled up at him and placed her hands on his cheeks, drawing him down for a lingering kiss. They broke apart, both breathing heavier than before. "No more worries, Shithead. I want you, make no mistake about that. I wouldn't even be here if I didn't."

Naruto's crimson eyes softened, "Tayuya, I - "

"Shh," she placed a finger against his lips with a small smile on her face, "No more words. Just make love to me." She drew him back and kissed him deeply, wrapping her legs around his hips as she did, and pulled him against her. The brush of his manhood against her sent a fresh wave of excitement through her, making her shiver again as she reached one hand down to guide him in. The tip brushed against her entrance, making her suck at his lips furiously as her pushed into her slowly.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as he pushed further into her. _He's big! _Tayuya thought as he buried his entire length in her. Naruto ground his teeth as her tight passage engulfed him, shaking with the effort to keep himself under control. She almost sighed in relief when he stopped to let her adjust.

"Tayuya?" He rested his forehead against hers, "Are you alright? I'm not hurting you am I?"

"No," she sighed, closing her eyes, "It actually feels really good." To prove it she thrust her hips against him, slowly moving up and down his length. Naruto didn't hesitate again and slowly began thrusting into her. Small moans of pleasure came from her as she kept a steady pace with him, falling into a rhythm. Naruto's thrusts soon became faster. Tayuya moaned loudly as he started pounding into her, making her lose her hold on him with her legs. He rose then, grasping her hips, and plowed into her.

His fingers brushed past her ribs, startling a squeal of laughter out of her, and momentarily halting Naruto. Tayuya looked at him with slight annoyance, "W-what? Don't stop now!" Naruto then grinned maliciously, and cracked his knuckles. Tayuya gasped when she realized what he was about to do. "Don't you - YAI!"Tayuya squealed as lifted her into his lap and procceeded to tickle her as he renewed his thrusts. Tayuya couldn't stop herself from squealing fromt he laughter and the pleasure the new position brought on. Half of her wanted to get angry at her lover, but the other half was crying out for more.

She wrapped her legs around him again, riding his hips as she endure the delightful torture he was inflicting on her. Naruto felt himself losing what little control he had left as Tayuya's squeals echoed through the room. He wanted to make her scream. It was then that Tayuya pushed against him, throwing off his balance, and toppling him over on his back.

"Oof!" Naruto laughed as his breath left him. Tayuya grinned down at him. "That wasn't very nice, Naruto-kun." She said sweetly, reaching up to pin his arm above his head, "Now here's your punishment. No touching me until you cum."

Naruto groaned in protest, but stopped when she started grinding against him, gyrating her hips against his, driving them both crazy with her movements. "Tayuya! I think I - "

"Already?" She smirked shakily, giving him a slightly harder thrust, "Come on then!" She lifted herself up to slam back down on him. Naruto, ignoring her orders, grabbed her hips to assist her, thrusting up into her. "Oh, fuck yeah!" The girl screamed, feeling herself tightening again. "Keep going!"

Naruto grunted with the effort to keep himself contained when he realized she was close to climaxing again, and tried to hold back for her. Tayuya grasped his shoulder to support herself as her legs threatened to give out. Naruto was slamming into her again, the sound of their skin meeting driving him into a frenzy until the girl on top of him arched her back, fighting back a scream as she clamped him tightly, touching off his own release as a burst of heat spread through her.

Tayuya took a moment before sliding off of Naruto to lay beside him, curling up against his shoulder. Naruto wrapped his arm around her, "That was amazing, Tayuya. I didn't know anything could feel so good!"

Tayuya laughed, burying her face in his shoulder, "For a long time, Naruto, neither did I." Naruto sighed and rolled over to face her, and...poking her? "Wait a minute, you're still hard?!"

Naruto looked down, and sure enough, he was still at full attention. "Hehe, sorry." Naruto laughed, noticing his nails were still claws, "Looks like I still have a little bit of Kurama's Chakra effecting me."

Tayuya could help laughing herself, "And your inhuman stamina has nothing to do with it?" She poked him on the cheek, "I'm good for another round, provided you're gentle."

Naruto smiled, "I'll never hurt you, Tayuya-chan, not ever." He rolled her onto her stomach, positioning himself behind her. She giggled and rose to her knees in front of him.

"I guess this is the best, seeing as you're more of a fox now than before," she smiled, wriggling her rear at him. Naruto just grinned and slid back into her as she gasped at the sudden entry. He started off at the fast pace, pounding into her without hesitation. Tayuya reared back against his chest, reaching back to tangle her fingers in his hair and pull him closer to her lips. He obliged her, thrusting out his tongue to swirl around hers as his hands reached around to fondle her breasts, before reaching his right hand down to tease her entrance as her thrust inside her.

"Hm," she sighed, feeling his touch, "More!" Her plea didn't go unanswered as his eyes glowed, and his fingers teased her hard node, and breast. His teeth scraped against her skin roughly, drawing louder moan from her as the sharp points grazed her, making her tighten around him. He could feel that she was close again, and, his instincts driving him to it, he bit into her shoulder, puncturing her skin slightly with his fangs. Tayuya screamed then, unable to hold back any longer as she came one last time. Naruto plunged into her as she rode out her climax, finally roaring with release, drawing another scream from her as she felt the second rush of heat gush inside her.

Holding her close to him, Naruto held them both up as he laid them down gently against the pillows. She felt a small trickle of blood running down her shoulder from the bite he'd given her, but there was no pain from the small wound. It felt like it made things more...real, permanent. She was his now, and he was hers. The thought brought a pleased smile to her face as she turned toward him, finding herself looking at his normal cerulean-blue eyes. "Hmph, I think I like the blue ones better after all." She said, stroking his cheek, "You wild animal, I'm not gonna be able to move for a day or two!"

Naruto grinned, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." He nuzzled her neck, "Guess I'm back to normal now." He looked down at his hands, not seeing the claws anymore, but normal human hands. "Heh, no more claws."

Tayuya snickered, "That would have been hard to explain to the gakis."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Oh, hell, Tayuya, please tell me you used a barrier technique! I didn't even think about grabbing a condom!"

"Calm down" she said, soothing him, "I was kidding, Naruto. I can't have children." She smiled sadly, "Sorry."

"What are you apologzing for?" Naruto asked, a little shaken, "And why can't you have babies?"

She reached up and flicked him on the nose, "Why do you think, shit for brains? Orochimaru. He didn't want one of his prized kunoichi getting pregnant on the job, so he did something to me that makes me unable to carry a child."

Naruto growled, a little of his earlier feral features returning, "We can fix that, Tsunade-baachan is the best medical shinobi in the world. We'll talk to her!"

Tayuya smiled, "You make it sound so easy. That hebi is the best at what he does, and that's ruining people's lives."

Naruto chuckled, "Is your life ruined with me right now, Tayu-chan?"

This caused her to blush, "W-well, no, I'm happy, b-but it's just that - "

"You think I won't be happy unless I have children?" He finished.

"Kinda." She sighed.

"Like I said, we'll talk to Tsunade," he said, "I have faith in her."

Smiling, Tayuya stretched out and pecked him on the lips, "It's a worry for another day. Right now we both need sleep. Me especially."

"Right, oyasumi, Tayuya-hime." Naruto sighed, pulling the covers around them.

Tayuya growled at him, "Watch it, I'm barely tolerating _Tayuya-chan_!"

* * *

_**And there you have it folks. The long-awaited lemon!**_

_**Staff member: I have to say it's about time! You always put lemons in your stories, but you never waited this long for one!**_

_**What can I say? The chapters were fun with out a lemon.**_

_**Staff member: Says the pervert.**_

_**I am not a pervert!**_

_**Staff member: Whatever you say.**_

_**Ugh, don't forget to review :p**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**I'll have to apologize to a few people. For one, no worries, I've decided to keep this strictly between our two love birds. Two: No people, I did not make Naruto into a Hanyou(half-demon) in the last chapter. As Kurama explained, he simply looked wilder than usual. Longer hair, teeth and nails. No tails or fox ears. And to those that were offended by the rape reference, *bows on hands and knees* I'm very sorry. But who knows what Orochimaru could have gotten up to? Besides that was more of a convincing scene for Naruto to stop worrying.**_

_**P.S. To an UN-logged in reader called Godzilla, dude, he's just come back from a three year training period, meaning he's no longer thirteen, but fifteen, and going toward sixteen, while Tayuya, being a little older since she was born in February, is sixteen. **_

_**18: The Akatsuki Arrive**_

* * *

Two figures approached the gates of Konoha in the early morning before the sun's rays even peeked over the horizon. The two Chunin on guard duty noticed the pair, one was incredibly short, while the other was a tall figure. When the two started getting closer, a gust of wind picked up, blowing sand toward them and blinding the two guards. A moment later when the gust died down, the two were gone.

"What the hell was that?" Izumo asked.

"No idea," Kotetsu said, "Think we should let Tsunade-sama know?"

"With everything that's going on?" Izumo asked, "I think so."

xXx

"That was almost too easy," Deidara grinned from their vantage point on top of a build just inside the gates. "I'm a little disappointed."

"Hmm, not so much in my case," Sasori sighed, "The faster we find our target, the faster we can report back to Leader. You know I hate to keep others waiting."

Deidara sighed, "You're right, and Kakuzu will yell at us if we're late. So do we know where this Gaara no Subaku is?"

"Since the Chunin exams in this village have only just seemed to have ended, then he should still be in the village. All we have to do is wait fro him to appear."

"Good plan, but we might have a little problem," Deidara said, scratching his cheek absently, "As I've heard, there could be two other Jinchuriki in this village. The Kyuubi and the Hachibi, what do we do if they decide to get involved?"

"Simple, I'll poison them," Sasori said, "The toxins won't kill them because of their Biju, but it will slow them down exponentially to the point that they will barely be able to move within seconds."

xHokage Mansionx

"Well, we seem to have come to an agreement," Tsunade slurred happily, "Four Genin from Konoha, and one from Kumo. Right Ay?"

"Hic." Ay smiled, but before he could say anything, he slumped over, snoring loudly.

Onoki brayed with laughter, "That's what you get for challenging a master to drinking Sake!" After saying so, the old Kage tumbled over, and also started snoring.

Tsunade chuckled, "Says the one that goes down second." She poured herself another cup, "Gaara, have another?"

"No thank you," said a perfectly sober Kazekage, "The Ichibi makes it impossible for me to get drunk."

"Hmph, lucky," she said, "But are you happy with the selections?"

"I am," he said, "these five shinobi are the best of the ones that we've seen. You have a fine Kenjutsu user, a Fuinjutsu master in the making, and two fine shinobi that are as fierce in battle as their team leader."

She chuckled, "Even I admit that I've been impressed by that crazy blonde. you've got no idea how much trouble that destruction seal of his is going to cause. But at the same time we have many who want him to use it on them. Anko, for example, has one of Orochimaru's curse marks on her and would love for it to be removed, and their are plenty in the Hyuga clan who want their curse marks gone."

"Yes, I must admit that their clan has always been a deterrent for me." Gaara said, "Slavery of that magnitude has made me sick since Naruto...knocked some sense back into me."

Again she chuckled, "He has that effect on people. I'd say that when the time comes, he'll make an excellent Hokage." She threw back her drink, "But that's a long time in coming. By the way, what happened to your sister? I thought she'd be with you?"

Gaara let a small smile creep onto his face, "I believe she's with one of your Chunin for the evening. When I need to retrieve her, I think I should start at the Nara clans main house."

xXx

Across the village, two shinobi sneezed, avoiding each other as they did. The blonde giggled, "I think you gave me a cold."

"No, I think someone's talking about us." Shikamaru sighed, "It'd be troublesome if Gaara found out about this."

"I don't think so," Temari smiled, curling closer to him, "We could always chalk it up to a political alliance, couldn't we?"

xXx

Back at the mansion, Tsunade laughed outright at Gaara's accusation, knowing that he was right. "I'm sure young Shikamaru is treating her right. Or else she'd send him packing. We both know that."

"Indeed, those two will most likely be a strong bridge for our village someday." Gaara smiled.

"What about that young woman that was hanging around with her at the exams?" Tsunade smiled when his smile faltered, "Ah, could this be the infamous little Matsuri-chan I've heard so much about?"

"We're not discussing th- "

BOOM

The explosion startled both kage from their seats. "What the hell is that?!"

"Someone must have set off a paper bomb!" Gaara said, "Who would do this?"

"I can think of a few," Tsunade growled, striding to the door, her drunken flush gone, "And they all belong to the Akatsuki!"

"Wha's zat?" Onoki said sleepily.

"Akatsuki!" Tsunade roared, waking Ay up in the process. "Get ready for a fight!"

BOOM

"And whoever is blowing up my village is going to get a royal welcome, Tsunade style!"

xXx

Naruto woke up when the first explosion shook the compound foundations. Untangling himself from Tayuya, he raised up wondering what had caused the small quake. "Kurama, is something going on?"

_**Not sure,**_Kurama said, _**It sounded like an explosion, but it was muffle by something. By the way, you're welcome.**_

"What are you talking about now?" Naruto groaned, reaching for his pants, "And what could cause an explosion like that?"

_**Well, I was the reason you and Tayuya finally did the deed,**_the fox chuckled as Naruto grumbled at him. _**As to what the explosion might be, I can't tell because it came from close to the gates. We're far from there, plus we're inside a house, so I can't hear as well as I should. Might want to check it out. But leave the vixen here. She'll be out of it for a while.**_

This immediately had Naruto on edge, "What did you do, Kurama?"

_**Nothing, I just helped your healing abilities along. But as to whether or not she'll have children, now, I don't know.**_Kurama grinned, _**You'll just have to keep trying.**_

"Perverted fox," Naruto muttered, looking back at the girl's sleeping form, smiling, "But thanks, Kurama. I really appreciate it."

_**No thanks necessary, Kit, we both know that the damned council and Danzo would be howling for you to chose a different mate if they knew she couldn't have kits of her own.** _

BOOM

Naruto swayed on his feet, "Whoa! That was strong! What the hell's going on!"

_**Better get moving, Kit, that one sounded close and it was definitely an explosion!** _

Naruto growled and grabbed the rest of his clothes and dressed quickly while stumbling toward the ruined front door. The early morning light was just creeping over the mountains, but Naruto could clearly see the smoke rising from the village. "Great, now what?"

He took a moment to take a _Hiraishin_ kunai out of his pouch and stab it into the ground before leaving and leaping over the compound walls.

xXx

"Two shinobi caused all of this?" Kakashi growled as he took in the destruction. He, Anko, and Iruka had only just arrived after receiving word from the ANBU about an attack on the village. The description of the two immediately set the silver-haired Jonin on edge. Two men, dressed in black cloaks with red cloud printed on them.

"This had to be the Akatsuki," he said, "But who are they after now? Naruto?"

"Jiraiya told us they were hunting Jinchuriki, so we need to verify that the Kazekage and the Raikage's brother are alright." Anko said, licking her lips, "But this looks like it could be fun. It's been too long since someone was stupid enough to attack us."

Iruka laughed nervously, "Three years isn't that long, Anko-sempai."

"Are you kidding me?! I've been stuck in the T&I department; don't get me wrong, that's fun, but this is what I'm talking about!"

Kakashi chuckled, "You never change, Anko-chan." He turned back ahead of them, "Now shall we find these two before they cause more trouble?" The two shinobi and giddy kunoichi lept away in search of the enemy.

Kakashi took the point across the roof tops, uncovering his Sharingan. The streets were clear except for a few fleeing civilians. Other than that, there was nothing out of the ordinary except for the unknown destruction.

"Kakashi-sensei, above you!" Kakashi looked up to see something falling toward him, a white doll?

"Detonating clay?!" Kakashi realized as he was tackled from behind by a blonde blur as the small bomb hit the spot where he'd been standing and exploded. "What the - ? Naruto?" Kakashi twisted around, catching sight of the blonde Genin.

Naruto grinned, "Been a little while, huh, sensei?"

"It has, last time I had to break up a fight between you and Tayuya-chan." He eye-smiled, "Now, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Naruto said, looking back at the destroyed rooftop, "But I'm betting our target's flying somehow."

Kakashi looked up, trying to see anything that might be dropping the bombs, "I think you're right, but there word of another one running around somewhere, and from the sounds of it, they're both Akatsuki."

Naruto looked back at the one-eyed Jonin, "Itachi and Kisame?"

"No, this isn't their style," Kakashi said, "Whoever's dropping these explosives is a long-range specialist, and I don't even know about the other one."

Naruto grinned, "Not my best, but I can try to get him." He rose up from his crouch, but Kakashi stopped him.

"Naruto, these are the Akatsuki, which means you're one of their targets!" He snapped, "We can't have you walking right into them!"

Naruto, to his surprise, cast a glare back at him, "Not to be disrespectful, _Sempai_, but since when did you care? I'm not the dumb kid I used to be!" He turned and jumped off the roof.

"Naruto, wait!"

Well, done, Kakashi." He turned around and found Jiraiya standing there. "I see you haven't told him yet?"

"I thought that was your job," Kakashi sighed, "After all, you did ask me to let you handle his training after his becoming a Genin."

"Hoh, I suppose that's true," the old sannin said, "Don't worry, though, he's stronger than he looks, now. In my will, he's to be the one to replace me a Sannin. I have that much faith in his abilities." He looked down at the Jonin, "You should, too. After all, he is your sensei's son."

Kakashi sighed again, "I guess you're right. But please let him know that I didn't ignore him on purpose? I can't stand the thought of one of my own students hating me."

Jiraiya laughed, "Maybe you should get out more, Kakashi, or take Anko up on some of her offers. Then you could loosen up."

"_I heard that_!" The unmistakable voice of Anko Maturashi yelled. Kakashi sweatdropped, "I think I'd be better off challenging _Tsunade_ to a drinking contest."

xXx

"Bor~ing," said the blonde Iwa nukenin, above the village on his clay bird, "No one's noticed me yet. Is the idea of an aerial attack so foreign to these people? Where's the fun?"

_"Futon: Daitoppa_!"

"Wha?" He looked down in time for a massive blast of wind to nearly knock him off his bird, "Whoa!"

"Ha! Found you!" Naruto crowed from below, "Get down here!" Deidara, however was too busy scrambling back onto his mount to be bothered.

"Dammit, who attacks someone out of nowhere like that!" He growled, hauling himself back up, "Geh, oh, yeah, _shinobi_."

Naruto was growing impatient, "If you're not coming down, _I'm coming up_!"

"Wha'd you say?!" Deidara yelled.

"_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" Deidara looked down and nearly fell off again when he saw a literal tower of orange clad blondes coming up at him.

"What the hell!" He steered his clay mount out of the way just as the real Naruto lept from his perch and grabbed onto the tail feathers.

"Got'cha!"

"GET OFF!" Deidara roared, descending into a dive. Naruto hung on for all he was worth, trying to find purchase on the clay tail.

Kurama was watching the whole thing with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment. _**And this is my**_**_ host_.** He groaned, _**You and your bright ideas, you flea brained knucklehead!** _

_Ah, shut up, I've got him, don't I?_

Kurama smacked a paw over his face, _**Of course you do, but who's got you?! **_

_I didn't plan that far ahead! "Whoa!" _Naruto howled as the bird started spinning to dislodge him. _**See what happens when you don't think things through? You're lucky Tayuya can't see this or she'd kick your ass just for being this high off the ground!**_

"Let go already!" Deidara yelled, "You're getting in the way of my art!"

"What art, you're just blowing shit up!" Naruto yelled back.

"How dare you!" He roared, "You dare to call my art shit?! True art is a fleeting moment in life! True art...is AN EXPLOSION!"

"Give me a painting on the wall or a statue any day of the week compared to a piece of detonating clay!" Naruto cried with tears streaming from his eyes from the wind rushing past them. "Whatever happened to the usual ways of making art. Wood work, paint, stone work, how something like this called art compared to that!"

Deidara's blood was beginning to boil at the blonde Jinchuriki's words. "I'll turn you into a pile of ash!"

While this was going on, Sasori was sitting atop another building watching the aerial display, "And that's my partner." He groaned, "And that's the Kyuubi no Jinchuriki, of all people for him to get on his tail!"

BOOM "YEOWIE!"

"Idiots," Sasori muttered as the blonde jinchuriki was hit with a small charge. "At least he didn't kill him." A moment later he watched as Naruto created another chain of clones that latched onto a passing tower, trying to ground his partner. "Perhaps I should step in. At this rate, we'll never find our target."

"And who might that be?"

Sasori turned around slowly, "Who's there?" He found a man covered mostly in bandages standing behind him. Sasori was surprised. _To be that crippled, and still be able to creep up on me, just who the hell is this man? _

"I am called Danzo Shimura of Konoha," he said, "I asked you who your target is?"

Sasori growled, "Not that it's any of your business, Danzo Shimura, but we're after the contain of the Ichibi no Shukaku. Your Jinchuriki just so happened to get in the way of my partner's scouting."

Danzo showed little emotion if any at all, "It matters little," he said, "What I truly want to know is if you're willing to take on another task for me?"

"A task?" Sasori asked in surprise, "We are not errand boys to be ordered around. Speak to Kakuzu and Hidan if you have a job you want done!"

"Oh, but the pay is well worth the toil," Danzo smiled, cracking open is visible eye, "What I offer in payment is the Kyuubi no Kitsune and his jinchuriki host."

Under his straw hat, Sasori's eyes narrowed, "My, my, such a payment would call for a great task." He chuckled darkly, "You have my attention."

"Then I assume we have accord?" Danzo asked.

"We do."

"Good," Danzo said, "What I want from you is this; Kill the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju."

xXx

Tayuya woke up slowly, feeling rested, and blissfully happy, but she felt something was wrong. _Why's it so cold? _She wondered, reaching for Naruto, but her search came up empty handed. "Huh?!" Her eyes snapped open. Naruto was no where to be seen. "What the fuck?! Naruto!" She sat up, pulling the covers around her as she did. The room was empty, even his clothes were gone.

"What's going on here?" She said aloud, "He wouldn't just leave like this unless something happen."

She decided to go ahead and gear up just in case something was up, finding a spare chain mail shirt to slip on after she found some intact underwear, dressing as quickly as she could and striding down the hall.

Then she knew something was wrong before she could even get to the door. _Smoke. _Her head beaded with sweat, her legs carrying her toward the door she'd broken down. There she found one of Naruto's special kunai embedded in the ground beside the steps. "He must have wanted to get back here in a hurry."

She looked out over the village, her eyes starting to widen as she saw towering billows of smoke, and a small figure flying in the distance, an orange chain attached to it.

"You gotta be shitting me," she breathed, "We're under attack, and he just left me sleeping?" She clenched her fist, a throbbing vein popping up on her face, "When I get my hands on him, I'll make him scream like a fucking bitch! And I'll turn whatever dick who woke him up with this into a pussy!"

xXx

As Naruto clung to the odd creation, he felt a cold chill run down his spine, _Why does it feel like someone just walked over my grave? _

Kurama chuckled, **_That just means Tayuya's awake and pissed that you're not there to cuddle with. She's probably on her way here right now, but I wish she wasn't, this gaki's dangerous. _**

_No shit! _Naruto growled, "Any chance you could land now?!"

"Fuck off, Blondie!" Deidara growled.

"_You're_ blonde, too, jackass!"

"Are you kidding, my hair's the color of molten gold!"

"Seriously?! That's what we're arguing about now?!" Naruto and his clones groaned, "That does it!" Suddenly he let go of the clay doll, and dropped down the chain of clones, sliding all the way down to the building they were attached to.

Kakashi chose then to land beside the chain as he slid to the bottom. "Naruto, what's going on?!"

"Found our airborne attacker," Naruto growled, "He's flying around on some sort of clay pigeon or something, and dropping the bombs as he goes."

Kakashi cursed, "We'll need a good long-range specialist then, we can't reach him as we are."

"Heh," Naruto said as his clones began to disperse, "Why not switch the battle to close range?" He took out a kunai with a sealing matrix wrapped around the hilt, and clenched it between his teeth.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him, recognizing the seal, "How are you going to hit him from here? A single kunai won't do much." Naruto grunted and started forming the ram, rat bird, boar and finally the tiger seals with his hands, and Kakashi visibly smiled behind his mask. "Well done!"

"_Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_ He hurled the kunai toward the flying figure, then the one small blade split into a thousand. Deidara yelled in alarm as the hail of kunai sailed toward him, and dove through them, ducking and dodging those he could, many sinking into the clay bird he'd created.

Naruto grinned, and looked at his sensei, "Ready?"

Kakashi hefted his arm, electricity sparking from his hand, "Ready! Let's get him, Naruto!"

"HA!" Naruto grabbed his shoulder and started glowing a familiar yellow, and disappeared.

Deidara had seen him go, and recognized the Jutsu all too well, looking down at the kunai that were embedded in his mount. "Fuck! This is the - "

"_Hiraishin no Jutsu!_" Naruto yelled from behind him, followed by a loud bird-like chirping.

He turned around. "And let me introduce you to my Chidori!" Deidara saw the sparks of blue lightning coming, and moved to dive off the bird, but Kakashi rammed the Jutsu through his right shoulder joint, effectively severing the limb. The blonde Iwa Akatsuki screamed as he lost his footing and plummeted toward the ground.

x-In front of the Hokage mansion-x

"And we're sure that they're contained?" Tsunade asked the masked ANBU in front of her and the other kage. "Who's fighting them now?"

"Yes, currently Kakashi Hatake, and Naruto Namikaze are engaging the flying shinobi, while we're still searching for the other one."

"_Naruto's_ fighting?" Tsunade growled, "What the hell's that brat thinking?! Neko! Get over there and help them!"

She rose to do so, but her radio receiver crackled a moment later, "Tsunade-sama, there appears to be no need to do that. Naruto and Kakashi have beaten their opponent!"

xXx

Meanwhile, Tayuya was running through the village searching for Naruto, but not finding him anywhere. She rounded a corner, and suddenly rammed into someone, sending both crashing to the ground.

"Sorry!"

"My fault!"

Tayuay looked up, finding a familiar pinkette, "Sakura?"

Sakura groaned, rubbing her lower back, "Hey, Tayuya, nice to see you." She grinned shakily.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she said, getting to her feet and helping the pinkette up, "What's going on? Who's attacking th village?"

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head, "I was on my way to the mansion from my apartment when all this started." She looked toward the smoke raising from parts of the village, "The Jonin and ANBU are all over the place, but I can't get them to stop long enough to get an answer!"

"I woke up and Naruto was gone," Tayuya sighed, "I'm starting to get worried."

Sakura nodded, "With three Jinchuriki in the village, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the work of the Akatsuki." Tayuya gasped, paling at the thought of Naruto facing them. Sakura was quick to try and reassure her, "Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine, we just need to find him before they do!"

The small tinkling of a bell reached their ears, and both girls looked down the street. A short, hunched over man was shuffling toward them, a straw hat over his face, and the rest of him covered with a black cloak with red clouds. The man chuckled darkly, "Such brave little ones," he said, "Worried about us finding your friends before you do." Sakura and Tayuya dropped into fighting stances. "When you should be worried about me finding you before get a chance to _run_!"

* * *

_**And so begins the assault on the Leaf, don't worry, Deidara's part in this battle is far from over, and very soon we shall see what Tayuya can really do when she cuts loose.**_

_**Don't forget to review folks.**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Sorry this taking longer than usual, but I'm afraid to say that my hours for writing are getting cut short because of work, but that doesn't mean I'll stop updating. so on with the show!**_

_**19:Traitor**_

* * *

Tayuya never had time to react as Sasori's tail whipped around and slammed into her and Sakura, sending both girl's sprawling. Sakura growled and rolled to her feet as Tayuya flipped herself upright again. The tail came again, the point going for them like a scorpion, stabbing at them.

Tayuya dodged out of the way, swearing angrily that she didn't have time to reach her flute. Sakura jumped off the ground and onto the roof of a building to avoid the attack, the leapt up, pulling back her fist, and flew descended on the Akatuski shinobi.

"A direct attack?" Sasori droned, "That's the best you can do?" He whipped his tail around and up at the girl only for Tayuya to jump up and grab onto it, throwing off his aim as the tip skmmed past the pinkette. "Insolent brats!"

"_Shanaroo_!" Sakura came down right on top of him, smashing into the ground, and leveling the street. The force of the impact knocked Tayuya off the tail, shock clear on her face.

"W-what that the hell, Pinky?!"

"Talk later!" Sakura yelled from the crater, "I missed!"

"Wha'd you say?! How could you - "

Sasori appeared in front of her, the bandana around his mouth gone.

"- miss?"

The mouth opened.

"Tayuya!" Sakura yelled, too late. Sasori shot out a barrage of needles. Tayuya shrieked as the tiny spears embedded themselves in her arms and body.

Sasori closed his mouth and jumped away. "There, now, that should keep you out of my way, little runt."

Tayuya's body began to burn almost immediately as she felt something spreading through the wounds from the senbon. "Fuck, its poison!"

"Hang on!" Sakura yelled, and raced to her side. But not before Sasori stepped back in front of her.

"Stop right there, brat," he growled, "If you want the girl to live, then you'll tell me where the Hokage and Kazekage are. The poison I injected her with is a powerful toxin that takes about three days to kill, but all the while the subject is in extreme pain, wishing for death. I have the antidote. Give me what I asked for, and you can have it."

Tayuya, who was already starting to feel the burn getting worse, sneered at him, "Go fuck yourself, I'd rather die than let the Hokage get hurt because of me!"

"You say that now," Sasori chuckled, "But what you're feeling now? That's only the beginning." His chuckled turned to a sadistic laugh, "Feel how it burns? Through out your entire body, bone and flesh alike feel like they're on fire. Even your internal organs will feel like they're beginning to melt!"

"Sick bastard," Sakura spat, clenching her fists, "Like Shishio would forgive me if I let her suffer," she ground out, "But I can't betray her."

"Then don't," Tayuya growled, falling to her knees, "I've been...through...worse..." Her vision began to fade, and Sakura watched as the girl toppled over.

"Tayuya!" Sakura cried, rushing forward again, only to be stopped by Sasori's tail.

"Where. Are. They?!" He growled, "Talk, and I will save her!"

"Don't..." Tayuya groaned.

"As if I could," Sakura growled.

Sasori, losing his patience, whipped his tail above the downed kunoichi, "Let me make it easier on you. Tell me now, or else I'll kill her right here and now!"

"No you won't!"

Sakura looked up just as a red and white meteor came rocketing down, and landed with a crash right on top of the Suna nukenin.

The body of the shinobi shattered into splinters as something leapt out of the body, covered by a black cloak. Jiraiya stood atop the shattered remains of the puppet, looking angrier than Sakura had ever seen him. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing to my stundent?"

"Jiraiya-san!" Sakura cried with relief, "We need to get her to the hospital, he poisoned her!"

Jiraiya nodded, "Take her. I'll deal with this bastard."

Sakura nodded and hurried to pick the girl up, "Have you seen Naruto?"

"He and Kakashi took down the other one." Jiraiya said, eerily calm, "He's fine. Now get Tayuya-chan out of here!"

"H-Hai!" She stuttered, and jumped away from him.

Sasori, the real one, watched them go with a slight smile on his face under the cloak, "Well, so much for having fun watching them squirm."

Jiraiya ignored him, "It's best that you give up, Akasuna no Sasori," he said evenly, "The entire village is on alert to you and your partner. There's no way you can fight off all of our Jonin shinobi, plus three Jinchuriki."

"That's true," Sasori smiled, keeping his face hidden, "I had hoped that we could do this as easily as possible, but it seems my comrade's poor pyrotechnics attracted less attention than we'd hoped." He stood up to his full height, "He was supposed to keep you all entertained while I found our targets."

"Targets?" Jiraiya growled, "You were after two Jinchuriki?"

"Not quite," Sasori taunted, "I was asked to kill your current Hokage. You see, you have a traitor in your midst."

"What?! Who?!" Jiraiya roared.

"I think I'll let you suffer over that little it of information," Sasori smiled, "I can sense my partner nearby, and, though I hate to disappoint our leader, you are right in the fact that it would prove fruitless for us to continue the fight."

"If you think I'll let you get away, then you're wrong." Jiraiya said, "Both the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, and that girl that you just about killed are like my own grandchildren." Jiraiya stepped forward, "I. Owe. You."

"Such a scary face for such an old man," Sasori said just as Deidara staggered out of an alley, dragging his severed arm with him, "But we will take our leave now." With that, a gust of wind picked up, blowing sand and debris all over the place, and blinding the Sannin long enough for them to escape.

"Dammit!" He ground out, "Naruto's gonna be pissed when he finds out what happened!"

"What are you talking about, Ero-sennin?" Naruto yelled as he and Kakashi landed next to him, only for Naruto to grin widely, "Hey, you got one of them!"

"No I didn't," Jiraiya sighed, "This is a puppet he was using. The real one got away with his accomplice...and he managed to injure Tayuya-chan, too."

"What did you say?!" Naruto yelled, his features immediately turning feral.

"Calm down, she's alive," he said, hoping he wouldn't need to use a suppression seal on him, "But he hit her with some kind of poison. Sakura took her and is looking after her, but you should probably go see her soon. I need to go have a talk with Tsunade."

Naruto growled, but nodded, and disappeared in a flash of yellow.

xXx

Sasori and Deidara stood in the forest far to the East of the village, the latter of the two breathing heavily, "Dammit, that son of a bitch seriously got me!"

Sasori sighed, "Well, it's to be expected that this village has exceptional shinobi residing there, after all, it did give birth to three legendary shinobi during the war."

"No shit," Deidara snapped, "Man, Leader's gonna kill us when finds out we failed."

"Stop sniveling," Sasori snapped, "We haven't lost yet!"

xXx

Tayuya, her body racked with pain, tried not to struggle too much as Sakura did her best to extract the poison from her body. It hurt like hell. Sakura would push a blob of liquid into her that would draw the poison in, and then pull it out from a different angle so she was sur to get it all. Sakura kept apologizing to her for the pain, but she bluffed saying that she'd had worse from her time with Orochimaru.

The truth was that she was in hell, and reliving some of the worst memories of that time. Whether it be the pain or the poison, she was delirious, yelling indiscriminate things, mumbling, and thrashing about like mad so much that Sakura had to call in a few nurses to help her.

This was the scene Naruto barged into, and it was something he'd always want to forget. The night before, when he'd seen all of Tayuya's body, he believe he was looking at a goddess. Now her body was covered in her own blood and sweat as Sakura tried to work on her. Wanting nothing more than to run to her side, Naruto forced himself to stay right where he was until she finished...that is until the girl started screaming.

"Naruto! Where's Naruto?!" Tayuya cried out. Naruto looked at Sakura for a moment, asking permission. When she nodded, Naruto was by her side in a moment, clasping her hand in his.

"I'm right, here, Hime-chan," Naruto said, "You're safe."

Tayuya looked at him with blood-shot eyes that were full of relief at seeing him. "Oh...good...they didn't...get you." She panted heavily as Sakura finished pulling out another blob of liquid.

Naruto gave her a weak smile, "Course not. Nobody get's one over on the Great Naruto Namikaze."

"Baka..." she smiled back, "You left me alone this morning, you jerk."

"Sorry," he said, "You looked so peaceful that I didn't have the heart to wake you."

Sakura stopped what she was doing to take the tub of liquid away, "I'm going to prepare an antidote, make sure she stays still."

Naruto simply nodded, not able to say his thanks. Tayuya gripped his hand tightly, "I was really scared, you know? When you weren't there, and I heard the explosions coming from the village...I thought you'd - "

"Hey, hey, none of that," Naruto laughed, bringing her hand to his lips, "I didn't give those bastards a chance to get a hold of me. I helped Kakashi get close enough to lop off the arm of the bomber, and Ero-sennin chased the other one off."

Tayuya nodded, "That's good...hey, you remember what you said last night? About having children?"

"Yeah," he nodded sadly, "That didn't upset you, did it?"

She smiled again and shook her head, "No, it just made me think...do you really think Tsunade-san could fix me?"

"You bet she can," Naruto grinned, "She's the best medic in the world! No way something Orochimaru-teme cooked up could hold her back!"

"I hope so," she smiled, closing her eyes, "When you said you wanted to have children with me, it made me really happy...and I want it, too."

Naruto kept smiling as the girl started to drift off to sleep, and leaned over to kiss her forehead, "Get better first, then we'll talk to her."

xXx

Tsunade tapped her fingers on her desk rapidly as she metally went over what Jiraiya had just told her. Someone had asked for her death at the hands of an Akatsuki? Thinking hard on it, she knew several that would jump at the opportunity to have her out of the picture, but they were mostly civilians that wouldn't dare to try it. Only one had ever been a shinobi, and the pieces fit...she just couldn't prove it.

_If Danzo really is starting to move against me, it's only a matter of time before he tries again. _She thought, _If I have to step down because of this, I'd better make sure my successor is someone that he won't stand a chance against...but the only one I can think of for that job is Naruto, and he's too damned young, yet. _

Jiraiya seemed to know what she was thinking and smiled, "You know he's just a little younger than when Minato took the chair?"

"Yes, but if I chose him, then the council of civilians would have a field day with his lynching." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Even if I banished them from the shinobi council meetings, they still hold a lot of power...the only thing that would stop them from marching in here with kitchen knives and pitch forks would be if we shinobi inforced martial law, and I'm not willing to become a tyrant."

"You don't have to," Jiraiya said, "Look Tsunade, the people can't keep viewing him as the monster he keeps imprisoned, Kami knows that, if he released it, he'd actually have a chance at survival, given his ridiculous amount of Chakra. Kurama once mentioned it to me through Naruto that Naruto could break the seal by the time he turned sixteen and live if he wanted to, though I don't know if the beast was telling the truth or not."

Tsunade sighed, "Regardless, Naruto would be more - "

"We can't keep coddling him, Tsunade," Jiraiya snapped, shocking the Hokage, "He's grown into a fine young man, and an excellent shinobi whom I've chosen as my successor as Sannin, and Toad sennin. Not only that, but he has the heart to do this. Kurama, though I don't fully trust him, wouldn't risk any harm coming to him, he proved that when that fiasco of a council meeting went south when Danzo and his civilians insulted Tayuya."

"That right there is what worries me," Tsunade said, "His anger could be an issue."

"Not once his sennin training is finished," Jiraiya put in, "Once he's there, anger won't phase him."

"Still..." She said, but Jiraiya placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Face it, he's the one to replace you, whether you think him ready, or not." He smiled, "He's still our little knucklehead, but he's grown so much to be like his parents."

Tsunade couldn't fight back a smile, "You're right about that. I can't look at him without seeing Kushina-chan."

"I know, and I can't help but see Minato when that boy's working on a seal." He chuckled, "Still think he can't handle it?"

"Hmph, he probably could, given his prowess with..." Tsunade was quiet for a minute before her eyes went as wide as saucers, "Oh, by Kami, I'm such an idiot!"

"Wha-what?"

"Shadow clones!" Tsundae beamed, "Why didn't I think of it before! I could have my paperwork done in half the time it normally takes!"

Jiraiya fell flat on his face.

"Oi, what's wrong with you?" Tsunade asked, leaning over her desk.

"Oh, nothing..." Jiraiya groaned.

xXx

Danzo paced the length of his room in thought about the botched job he had requested. He had expected more from an SS-ranked shinobi, but then he hadn't thought about Jiraiya getting involved in the fray. Or that his little apprentice would cause so much trouble.

In truth the young Namikaze had surprised him in using such techniques in the Chunin exams, which had most likely cemented his promotion, as well as the kunoichi he had fought, and, apparently, coupled with.

It was a minor set back, and as long as no one found out who had ordered the attack, then he was safe...but that left one minor detail. Sasori knew.

xXx

Naruto stayed by Tayuya's side the entire time she was out until Sakura came back with the antidote. Tayuya was woken up and made to drink the bitter smelling mixture, which she complained about loudly afterwards, making Naruto smile. She was already feeling better.

Sakura tried to make her stay over night, but arguing with Tayuya was like trying to tell Tsunade to quit drinking, which was to say it was impossible without using brute force.

Sakura was unwilling to do so, given what Tayuya's body had been through, and decided to let her leave with him. But, to her utter embarrassment, Naruto picked her up in his arms, and carried her out.

Naruto just grinned and put up with her protests as she struggled lightly against his arms, but soon gave up and resigned herself to her fate. Tayuya then hid her face in his chest as they walked down the street, where she became the envy of every female that had their eye on the blonde. Tayuya took a little guilty pleasure from the jealous glares she was getting, but a few of them, many of them from Uzumaki women, gave her a smile as they passed.

They made it home, broke door ignored for the time being, where Naruto put her to bed, with Tayuya pulling him down with her. Naruto grinned at her, but untangled her from his neck, "Not until you're back to full health, Hime-chan."

Tayuya pouted, "Why do I let you get away with calling me these girly names?"

Naruto grinned, "One, you are a girl, and two, you know you like it."

"Suck it."

He chuckled, "That's my girl."

xXx

"And you're sure about your choice," Koharu asked, though a fare amount of strain in her voice, "This might not go over well with the civilians."

"She has a point, they don't view him as a human," Homura said.

Tsunade sighed, "The civilians don't know what's good for them anymore, it seems." She said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were under the influence of a Genjutsu," she let that hang in the air, "But they will see what he is capable of when he finally take the seat. It's not like I'll be retiring tomorrow."

"True, but Naruto is still young, younger than his father was when he became Hokage." Koharu pointed out, "I have no quarel with the boy after seeing him in the exams, but the experience needed - "

"Will be gained," Tsunade smiled, seeing that she was winning, "I have the utmost confidence in him. As successor to the Toad summoning contract, and as a shinobi of this village. He will be Hokage."

* * *

_**This has to be my crappiest chapter I've ever written -_- My apologies for the long wait. As I said, my writing time has been cut short, but I will keep going until this story is, for better or worse, finished. Also have I get this posted, I'll be putting up a poll for my next Naruto story's pairing, so please check it out, and give a little vote.**_


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